Velvety, nutty and low-ABV, this sherry flip makes an excellent alternative to eggnog during the festive season
Try our sherry flip, then discover our sherry sour, Tiojito sherry cocktail and frozen sherry cobbler cocktail. Also, try more Christmas cocktails. Sherry flip cocktail
Top this buttery root veg and streaky bacon boulangère with parmesan breadcrumbs – pure winter comfort
Try our swede, leek and smoky bacon boulangère, then discover roast partridge with one-pan boulangère, braised lamb boulangère or boulangère potatoes. Swede, leek and smoky bacon boulangère recipe
Crispy plaice with Thai-style carrot salad
Serve strips of crispy seasoned plaice with a vibrant carrot and green bean salad. Finish with mint and coriander for herby freshness
Try our crispy plaice with Thai-style carrot salad, then discover plaice with warm tartare butter sauce, tamarind and coconut plaice, breaded plaice with sauce vierge or plaice with brown shrimp butter. Crispy plaice with Thai-style carrot salad recipe
This French cake is so called because the thinly sliced apples meld together in the batter to make the body of the cake and almost disappear
Try our invisible apple cake, then discover Dorset apple cake, spiced toffee apple traybake, cinnamon, pecan and apple crumble bars and toffee apple brioche and butter pudding. Invisible apple cake recipe
This thriving city is now a must visit for foodies across the country, and the perfect choice for a long weekend away
Looking for Bristol restaurants? Check out the best places to eat in Bristol, including cafés, bars and restaurants. Here you'll find local beers and interesting wines, lively bars and buzzy cafés. Check out our local food and drink guide to Bristol... For more exciting restaurants and weekend ideas for food lovers, check out our best UK city breaks and the UK's best artisan bakeries. Also read our city guides to the best restaurants in Bath, best restaurants in Cardiff, best restaurants in York and best restaurants in Oxford. Jump to: Best places to eat and drink in Bristol Best cafés in Bristol Best food and drink shops in Bristol Foodie neighbourhood in Bristol Where to stay in Bristol Best places to eat and drink in Bristol Marmo For modern European food and wine Marmo is one of Bristol’s most special dining experiences. It sits on bustling Baldwin Street – inside are high ceilings, an open kitchen and a buzzy, inviting atmosphere. It has an extremely pleasing menu taking influence from Italy, and an exceptional organic/biodynamic wine list. Marmo is headed by couple Cosmo and Lily Sterck. Cosmo is ex St John and Brawn, and Lily worked front of house at Luca in their London days. The menu reads really well to a point that it’s hard to know what to order for fear of missing out. Simple Italian ingredients are given the best treatment. There’s plates of lightly fried gnocco fritto and salame rosa, perfectly pickled, crunchy vegetables and bobby beans tossed with white peaches and a pine nut cream. A fresh pasta dish is always available and the famous steak tartar always graces the menu. The staff are well versed in both wine and food so you feel in good hands. If you order any dessert make sure you get at least one chocolate mousse for the table – it’s perfectly set with a blanket of lightly whipped cream strewn over it. It’ll be the ideal end to what’s likely to be a flawless meal. marmo.restaurant Farro, Bristol For pastries and sourdough Farro is certainly Bristol’s best bakery. In fact, it’s renowned as one of the best in the country. Because of this you may be faced with a queue on weekends but don't let this deter you. The queues move fast and the cabinets are well stocked. Sitting comfortably in central Bristol, it’s a slick, small establishment but with limited seating so be ready with an empty tote bag for pastries and sourdough, and a free hand for takeaway coffee. There are classic French pastries from golden pain au chocolat to a classic croissant. The perfectly sweet and heavily vanilla-scented canelé de Bordeaux is the best we’ve tried outside of France. There's savoury scones packed with cheese and rosemary, seasonal fruit galettes (like strawberry and elderflower in the summer) and if you go on the right day you’ll find trays of custardy pastel de nata. Don't leave without a loaf of sourdough, and the dense and nutty rye bread is also excellent. The menu is seasonal so changes regularly but whatever’s on offer is never far off pastry perfection. farro.co.uk Root For veg-led dining Long standing favourite Root (opened in 2017) is known for its modern, small plate, vegetable-led dishes. It sings of seasonality, with just a few meat and fish dishes of the highest quality gracing the menu. Unsurprising that this place had earned such accolades when it’s owned by renowned chef Josh Eggleton (The Pony Chew Valley). Start with a seasonal cocktail like a gooseberry and elderflower martini or an apricot whisky highball. Root has a real skill at making humble veg the star of the show with a menu that boasts mouth-watering dishes such as a hispi cabbage caesar salad, crispy Cornish potatoes with curried butter, pizzettas with caramelised onions and Cotswold brie, and smoked Cornish monkfish with tahini, yogurt and pickled red cabbage. What’s great about Root is its extensive use of British ingredients, championing some of the country’s best producers. This is a fantastic shout for vegetarians, or those who just prefer a vegetable-led meal. rootbristol.co.uk Noah's For seafood or fish and chips Noah’s is a fish and seafood restaurant situated under a bridge on Spike Island overlooking the Cumberland Basin. It’s not hard to tell where its name came from – the restaurant itself, with modern wooden cladding and a subtle nautical theme, hints to fishing boats. Its simple approach to seafood is supported by the freshest produce, boasting a menu of fish caught from the south coast to the clear lochs of Scotland. To start there’s soft crumpets piled with lemony crab mayonnaise, hand-dived fat Orkney scallops drenched in garlic butter, and piles of Fowey mussels in a perfect white wine sauce. For a main you can choose your fish grilled or fried, like Cornish sole with brown butter and capers, or battered hake. There’s a rather clever Lock Keeper’s menu that runs for lunch daily 12-3pm as well as 12-6:30pm Mondays and Thursdays – this includes mussels, a fishcake or prime battered cod fillet with a pile of chips, mushy peas, homemade tartare sauce and a mug of builder’s tea. It comes in at £14.50, an absolute steal for some of the freshest fish you’ll get in the west of England. noahsbristol.co.uk Wilson's and Wilson's Bread Shop For fine dining Headed up by husband and wife team, Jan and Mary, Wilson’s opened its doors back in 2017 on Chandos Road in Redland. This one-Michelin-star restaurant happily brings together fine dining with farm-to-table eating in a relaxed neighbourhood setting. The small whitewashed restaurant features bare wooden tables and black painted boards with the leafy streets of Redland on the doorstep. The menu, though fine dining, is simple. You’ll find ingredients treated with the upmost thought and consideration such as raw seabass with smoked crème fraîche, gooseberries and thai basil, or blackcurrants from their farm turned into a smooth, delicate sorbet with basil leaves and oil, also made from their own crops. For a six-course menu available at both lunch and dinner you’ll pay £78, and the wine flight is an extra £50, which is very good value for such a fantastic dining experience. Just a few doors down from the restaurant is the bread shop, which absolutely should not be missed. Here you can pick up some of the exceptional sourdough served in the restaurant, as well as loaves such as Icelandic rye. There’s Wookey Hole cheddar toasties with house-made seasonal pickles, thick wobbly custard tarts and seasonal fruit-filled choux buns (with the fruit sourced from the farm). At weekends it serves up a real treat: the most excellent bacon rolls using Hokkaido milk buns, Koji-cured bacon and homemade red or brown sauce – just the perfect bite. wilsonsbristol.co.uk Bokman For modern Korean cooking Bristol favourite Bokman is a small Korean restaurant run by husband and wife duo Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson. It’s a small establishment in Stokes Croft, known for its independent businesses and thriving pub and live music scene. Bokman dominates the area as the best eatery around, serving up authentic, relaxed Korean food. A blackboard of up to 10 dishes serves as the menu, with regular changing Korean favourites. We started with pork and beef stuffed chillies, deep-fried in a crisp shell of batter and served with a dipping sauce with just the right balance of sweet and acidic, with notes of clementine. Sip on Korean beer before ordering a high-piled crunchy chinese leaf salad, tossed with seaweed, pine nuts and a creamy dressing, or try banchan, a plate of pickled Korean vegetables. There’s delicious locally caught fish on the menu along with rich, spicy braised tofu and a spectacular whole chicken stuffed with raw rice that’s slow cooked until the meat is tender and the rice has soaked up the fat and turned soft and sticky. A soft serve ice cream is always on rotation with seasonal toppings and usually one other dessert – if you’re lucky you may be there on a week where the matcha and chestnut tiramisu makes an appearance. The food feels like you’ve been invited to someone’s home as a guest for dinner. The staff make you feel comfortable, almost like a local. And no doubt you’ll wish you were once you’ve eaten at Bokman. bokman.co.uk Gambas For simple Spanish food at its best Gambas has a cool setting and slick menu – it’s one of those restaurants that does what it does extremely well. You feel in good hands eating there, under chefs that know what they’re doing and staff who competently chat you through the specials. Consistently excellent, it’s located in Wapping Wharf, overlooking the harbour, so on a sunny afternoon you’re in for a treat. The high-quality ingredients here never feel short of excellent. You’ll find fresh, juicy prawns pil pil, drenched in garlic butter, a fat tortilla with a wobbly centre and a smear of garlic aïoli, and plates of hand-carved jamón ibérico and golden, freshly fried croquettes. It all comes out at a good pace, never rushed, with enough time to enjoy the views and the wine. There’s a good wine list too and a jug of seasonal sangria never disappoints, such as cherry in the summer or clementine and rhubarb in the cooler months. gambasbristol.co.uk Dongnae For sophisticated sharing dishes Dongnae is the newer, sister restaurant to the popular Bokman. It sits on Chandos Road in Redland and has a much smarter setting than its more relaxed sister. The way of eating is different here too. You’re encouraged to share dishes from a charcoal grill, such a whole Brixham john dory, grilled pork belly and wagyu feather blade. These are all served with a wooden tray of ssam and condiments – essentially crispy whole lettuce and bitter leaves which act as a wrap for the smoky meat, fish, vegetables, pickles and sauces. There are also small plates, like beef dumplings in a delicate broth and the crispiest fried chicken wings in salty, almost caramel-like, lip-smacking sauce. You can order extra banchan too, including the homemade kimchi, which is the best we’ve ever tried. This is a really special dining experience. Book a table for an early evening and eat some of the most delicious Korean food in a calm, sophisticated setting. dongnae.co.uk Sonny Stores For Italian-led modern dining Pegs Quinn’s unassuming eatery sits happily on a corner in the backstreets of Southville. Unassuming it may be but here you’ll find some of the best food being served in Bristol. Pegs spent five years at The River Café before packing his bags and heading back to his home in the West Country to work in several restaurants before opening Sonny Stores five years ago. The menu reads head to toe of things you’ll be desperate to eat. There are fat, salted anchovies swimming in olive oil, large hunks of bubbly focaccia and the most sublime, crispy vegetable fritti to start with crispy curls of fried sage. There’s always pizza on the menu, smaller, chubbier and blistered or larger and thinner to share, the dough is light and fluffy, and toppings carefully thought out – like a pizza bianco with a creamy sauce, salami and little sharp pickled chillies. You could just eat the pizza because it’s so good but then you’ll want to save room for more. There’s hand-rolled pasta circulating the menu and meat braised slowly, served with the softest polenta. There’s a fat wedge of fluffy tiramisu, a simple, well-executed end. This small but perfectly formed restaurant is not to be missed. sonnystores.com Gigi's Pizza For New York slices This relatively new pizza joint is one of the hottest tickets in town. Located in the Old Market area of Bristol, it sings more of the backstreet pizza joints of Brooklyn. The premise is simple: American ovenbaked pizza with a crisp bottom and fantastic toppings. You can order Gigi’s by the slice or in whole 12-inch or 18-inch pies. The best way to dine here is to bring some friends and share some big pizzas. The margarita has a rich, glossy tomato sauce and a generous layer of oozy cheese. There’s pepperoni with just enough hot honey to cut through the spicy meat, and a really special cacio e pepe number. Order some slices, a pot of buffalo ranch and a couple of cold beers. Once you start it’s hard to stop ordering slice after slice. gigispizzashop.com The Kensington Arms For a very good Sunday roast Tucked away in the picturesque, leafy streets of Redland is local favourite The Kenny. It’s a cosy corner pub that serves evening meals, lunches and Sunday roasts that are as good as they come. There’s a sense of neighbourhood in this boozer, locals sit at the bar drinking Somerset cider and sleepy dogs wind themselves around their owners’ legs under the table. But what really makes this pub stand out is the exceptional cooking that comes out of the kitchen. Head for a Sunday roast and enjoy ruby red ex-dairy beef with fat yorkshire puddings, creamed celeriac and crispy roasties, or perfectly crackled iron aged pork belly. Start with a blackboard special that might involve some freshly caught Brixham scallops, lightly whipped cod’s roe on toast or pan-fried gnocchi with goat’s curd. Finish up with a wedge of sticky toffee pudding and a big satisfied smile on your face. Be sure to book as seating is limited in this cosy establishment and the Sunday roasts in particular are popular. thekensingtonarms.co.uk Fed For brunch Breakfast and brunch is always a 10/10 at one of the four Fed cafés that are dotted across Bristol (find them in Cotham, Gloucester Road, Fishponds and Westbury). With knock-out coffee, a really strong breakfast menu and some of the most delicious cakes in Bristol, order something sweet like apple overnight oats with earl grey soaked prunes, or a savoury number such as poached Cacklebean eggs on thick sourdough toast with garlicky greens, or a hot brioche bun with crispy bacon, eggs and chilli chutney. The huge selection of cakes is hard to pass by, strategically located by the exit, so don't leave without a big wedge of banana bread or a slice of the famous towering fudgy chocolate cake. fedcafe.co.uk Bristol Lido For building up an appetite Bristol’s Clifton Lido and its historic setting is one of the highlights of the city. Take a dip, sauna and hot tub before setting yourself down for a fantastic lunch in the bar or restaurant. The poolside bar offers a small plate menu inspired by the Mediterranean. There’s taramasalata with pickles, sumac and fluffy flatbreads, watermelon and barrel-aged feta salad, chargrilled lamb pintxo with harissa and seasoned yogurt, and Cornish sardines with tahini, coriander and lime. The restaurant above has a more extensive menu with larger plates such as slow-cooked tomato cavatelli or pan-fried skate wing. There are some fantastic packages on offer: for £55 you can bag yourself a swim and lunch package where you can use the facilities then enjoy two courses in the restaurant, or on Sundays have a swim and three small plates in the bar for the same price. Booking ahead is highly recommended as this is one of the most popular spots in Bristol. lidobristol.com More restaurants in Bristol loved by the olive team 1 York Place Chef Freddy Bird of Little French fame has opened his second Bristol restaurant, this time a split-level dining room on the outskirts of Clifton. Freddy’s food is flavour-driven and strongly European with opening snacks like jamón and smoked eel croquetas, and the lightest potato beignet with anchovy mayonnaise and pecorino. Seasonality comes into play in a starter of asparagus and a brown butter hollandaise with homemade sourdough. There is plenty of seafood on the menu – wild prawns, scallops, surf clams, hake, skate and gurnard – plus sharing options including roast rump cap with crisp cubed dripping potatoes and horseradish. 1yorkplace.co.uk Bank It’s a pleasure to spend time in this airy, welcoming space in Totterdown where all the important things matter: decent cocktails, imaginative wines, cooking over fire with seasonal ingredients, small plates and feasting menus, excellent coffee. Founder Dan O’Regan and his co-owner chef Jack Briggs work with local suppliers and seasonal ingredients, some grown at the restaurant’s allotment, to offer hearty plates for two or three to share like Hereford Cross sirloin with beef shin rendang, bone marrow and charred pineapple. Smaller, regularly switched-up dishes such as smoked pork belly, picked watermelon and mission crab butter; Scottish girolles, burnt sweetcorn custard, crispy poached egg and jalapeno show sharply-honed kitchen skills and influences from across the world. bankbristol.com The Pony Brother and sister Josh and Holly Eggleton are well-known on the Bristol dining scene. Their smallholding, a short drive from the city, combines restaurant with cookery school and polytunnels, gardens and orchards. Take lunch, dinner, afternoon tea – or a sustainable wine course. The Pony’s set menu is a great-value intro: cold roast beef with garden pesto, chalkstream trout with Pony herbs and vanilla set cream. theponychewvalley.co.uk Cotto Across several much-loved Bristol restaurants, including their eponymous flagship, the Bianchi family is an energetic proponent of modern Italian food. Cotto is steeped in tradition: old family recipes, cooking research in Padova, sourcing trips to storied Tuscan butchers. But it is colourfully innovative, too – for example, in its artichoke fritti with mint and hot honey or its Loco carbonara. Originally a cult hit at a previous Bianchi restaurant, Pasta Loco, a recently revived carbonara – which takes several days to make – arrives as a plate of saucy spaghetti and fennel sausage, topped with a slab of slow-cooked, crispy pork belly and a pancetta-wrapped poached egg. cottowinebarandkitchen.co.uk littlefrench Freddy Bird’s family-run restaurant in Westbury Park serves up hearty, regional French dishes which deliver on every level. With a menu of snacks, starters, mains, sharers and sides, you get the feeling Freddy’s trying to feed you up. Let him. A ‘snack’ of chargrilled baby monkfish is the juiciest we’ve ever tried, served with sauce vierge, fresh basil and a decent thwack of woodsmoke. We down massive oysters with shallot vinegar for a saline hit, seriously good olives sweet with garlic and rosemary, and creamy fizz from the Loire. littlefrench.co.uk Bianchis A painted Bell’s Diner & Bar Rooms sign still exists above the door at this famed Montpelier restaurant site, taken on by Dominic Borel and Ben Harvey to turn into a traditional Italian trattoria. Interiors include bottle-green banquettes and wood panelling, crisp white tablecloths, and a modern geometric print in the bar – and there’s a mix of bookable tables and those reserved for walk-ins. There’s a suitably grown-up nod to the restaurant’s Italian roots right from the off, with a bitter aperitivo list (negronis, Aperol and Campari spritzes, vermouth and tonics), and plenty of Italian wines, but there are also a few curveballs to look out for – including an Essex pinot blanc, an Austrian orange wine and a trendy Greek red. When it comes to the food, the team goes further than the pasta-centric offerings at its other sites. The menu – divided into cured, raw, antipasti, primi (showcasing their pasta-making skills) and secondi sections – makes the most of local West Country producers: think braised quail with pancetta, coco blanc, turnip and girolle agrodolce; and roast hake with Dorset clams and baby fennel. The kitchen is headed up by Pegs Quinn, who boasts the River Café on his CV. bianchisrestaurant.co.uk Bertha’s Once an engineer for the McLaren Formula 1 team, Graham Faragher and his wife, Kate, started Bertha’s as a street-food business, serving pizzas from a converted canary-yellow Land Rover Defender before opening a bricks-and-mortar pizzeria in Bristol’s burgeoning harbourside food quarter. For Graham, it’s all about a long fermentation for the sourdough – at Bertha’s, it’s between three and five days – and seasonal South West ingredients for the toppings. berthas.co.uk Poco Café by day, tapas joint by night, ethically focused Poco is a long-time member of the thriving indie community of Bristol, with food and drink menus featuring seasonal, British and often organic produce. The varied but cohesive collection of small plates (which is chalked up on the back wall alongside the producers whose ingredients it stars) is illustrative of Ian’s imagination and skill. Sweetcorn fritters are far more exciting than the image they conjure, and come loaded with jalapeño and rich crumbs of chocolate to offset that sweetness. Each is sat on an aioli-topped kohlrabi slice, for wrapping it in, taco-style. Cornish hake, dusted with kelp powder, is cooked with real care; the soft flesh falls away in thick, moist flakes at the mere suggestion of a fork, and slips into the silky oyster mayonnaise it’s partnered with. pocotapasbar.com Bulrush This modern British restaurant in the Cotham area of the city quickly made an impression on locals thanks to the clever cooking, interesting techniques (they’re big fans of fermentation) and bold flavour pairings from 30-year-old chef George Livesey. Originally from the Peak District, George has worked at St. John, for Dan Cox (executive chef of Fera at Claridge’s), and White Rabbit in Dalston before deciding to head West. His menus champion the produce of the region, including all the foraged ingredients he can get his hands on (from fiddlehead ferns and pine, to juniper and sea kale). With personable and passionate service, a cracking cocktail menu that complements the food, and sterling cooking coming out of the tiny kitchen. bulrushrestaurant.co.uk Pasta Ripiena Pasta Ripiena is the sister restaurant to the popular Pasta Loco. To keep things seasonal, the restaurant gets two weekly deliveries from the Milan fruit and vegetable market. This produce ends up in a range of dishes, particularly stuffed pasta, which is made on site every day. Typical main courses include tortellini of salt marsh lamb, artichoke barigoule, pancetta and ricotta salata, and ravioli of beef shin ragu, crispy coppa, chard and pedro ximénez. Dominic says: “You’ll find Joe rolling five different styles of stuffed pasta between the end of lunch service and dinner – the PX sherry jus on the beef ragu is sticky, sweet, rich and just plain naughty!” pastaripiena.co.uk River Station Bag a table by the window (or on the terrace) in the glass-fronted River Station (The Grove) to catch the action in the harbour. Go all out in the smart upstairs restaurant with mains such as roast hake with parmesan crust and cannellini beans, the two-course set lunch in the relaxed downstairs café-bar is a bargain. riverstation.co.uk Koocha Mezze Bar Koocha Mezze Bar is a Persian, all-vegan cocktail and mezze bar with a contagiously sparky, easy-going spirit, in Bristol’s independent quarter. Run by long-time vegetarian turned vegan, Noda Marvani, Koocha’s bold, all-black exterior hints at the snug, stylish space within. There are also bright blue picnic tables on the patio outside for warmer days but Koocha’s brought the outdoors in, too; festoon lighting against a dark ceiling makes for an atmospheric, dining-under-the-stars feel. The menu is short and sweet, with one page for mezze, mains, sides and desserts then another for drinks — including plenty of vegan cocktails and signature G&Ts. Menu highlights include the koopa – earthy rice balls, deep-fried and loaded with cinnamon and turmeric – and spiced, slow-roasted cauliflower teamed with saffron yogurt and pomegranate seeds. Almost everything here is made from scratch (including the seitan used in the kebabs) and what Koocha don’t make themselves they look to the Bristol community to supply. Desserts are brought in from Elspeth’s Kitchen — a vegan, gluten-free bakery down the road from the restaurant — and bread’s sourced from Bristol-based Abunoor Pitta Factory. koochamezzebar.com Nutmeg Located in smart Clifton, Nutmeg serves up seriously delicious Indian cuisine. With its buzzy, welcoming atmosphere, this restaurant doesn’t mind if you’re dressed up or down, but the dishes are certainly special enough for a celebration. In its dishes, decor and demeanour, Nutmeg is wonderfully colourful. Street-art-style murals on the walls are pure Bristol, while wooden floors and red banquettes add polish. Owner Raja Munuswamy and head chef Arvind Pawar source ingredients from local indie suppliers, including Ruby and White butchers and Bristol Sweet Mart. While the tasting menu focuses on one region at a time (on our visit the northern region of Kashmir), cycling quarterly to keep things fresh, the à la carte features flavours inspired by all 29 of India’s states. After a tray of well-balanced homemade chutneys, the amuse bouche of golgappa puri – a traditional street snack of deep-fried tried filled with tamarind water, chilli, chaat masala and chickpea – proved to be one of the standouts of the night. We also found ourselves particularly enamoured with the main course’s yakhni gosht – rich, slow-cooked lamb that was moreishly tender, warm with ginger and cumin and cooled with a hung yoghurt sauce. Paired with a fruity pinot noir rosé, the pudding rounded the evening off beautifully; a deliciously syrupy jalebi acted as the perfect foil to a fragrant ball of homemade rose kulfi ice cream. nutmeg.co.uk Bravas For a pre-dinner bite, cross Whiteladies Road to small, buzzy Bravas which, with its exposed brick walls and hessian coffee sacks, could be a backstreet tapas bar in Spain. Make sure you try the lamb à la plancha with hazelnut and parsley salsa or the tortilla with homemade aïoli. bravas.co.uk Bocabar For a sit-down Sunday lunch with friends and family, Bocabar is a Bristol institution (though it’s just as good on other days of the week too). There’s a local, sustainable ethos running through the menu; fish and meat dishes often list the farm or fishmonger those scallops, roast pork or lamb come from. It's a great option for kids: the relaxed vibe means there are plenty of child-friendly sharing platters stocked with West Country cheeses and meats. Wood-fired pizzas and Sunday roasts are other classic menu items here (though it’s also the kind of place you could just drop into for coffee and order some toast for the kids). And the large space and laid-back vibe makes it a breezy, chilled out place to be with children, where you don’t feel you’re impinging on other diners. bristol.bocabar.co.uk Green Man Tucked away in tranquil Kingsdown, the cosy Green Man could almost be in a Somerset village. Savour a pre-dinner pint of Bristol Best, made with British malt and hops by Westcountry brewers Dawkins (who own the pub). If you’re not booked elsewhere for dinner, the home-cooked food is good too. facebook.com/thegreenmanbristol Best cafés and coffee shops in Bristol Ahh Toots Tables are much sought after at this cool and cosy bakery-café, where, behind that historic Tudor façade, owners, Tam Galliford and Amy Symonds, create ace celebration cakes and lush afternoon teas. Sandwiches and unusually interesting scones (sour cherry and toasted pumpkin seed, for example) are followed by a variety of modish bakes, such as thyme and sea salt chocolate cookies or lemon mascarpone choux buns. Tam and Amy like to use products from fellow Bristol indies, such as Circumstance Distillery’s whiskey in their white chocolate truffles. Their house coffee blend was created with Radical Roasters. ahhtoots.com Hart’s Bakery The queues snaking out the door tell you all you need to know about Hart’s Bakery. Set under the arches at Bristol Temple Meads railway station, swing by for epic sausage rolls and Saturday Bread. hartsbakery.co.uk Two Day Coffee Roasters As unpretentious as coffee shops get, Two Day Coffee Roasters sells an impressive selection of beans by weight, as well as cups of coffee to go (there are no seats). The Bristol coffee scene may have grown over the past few years, but these guys were right there at the start. twodaycoffee.co.uk Primrose Café Ease yourself into the day with brunch at one of Bristol’s longest-standing food institutions, the Primrose Café (Clifton Arcade, 1 Boyce’s Avenue). Go for the All-In-Two cooked breakfast, haddock fish cakes, or a slab of its legendary chocolate and salted caramel cake. primrosecafe.co.uk Papadeli Transport yourself to the Med at Papadeli, a deli-cum-café-cum cookery school whose ‘papa’ is affable ex-chef Simon MacDonnell. If you’re staying beyond the weekend, book onto a weekday evening cooking class. Otherwise, devour a chocolate brownie in the café or snap up a Sorelle Nurzia Italian Easter Colomba cake in the deli. papadeli.co.uk Spicer & Cole Amble into classy Clifton for tea at Spicer & Cole, the antidote to faceless coffee shop chains. Ingredients are locally sourced and the sandwiches and cakes are handmade on site. The carrot cake is addictive. spicerandcole.co.uk Mark's Bread You can spot the queues long before you reach Mark Newman’s artisan bakery on the popular North Street. Bag a loaf of his sourdough, still warm from the ovens behind the counter, or settle down with a paper and croque Monsieur in the café next door. marksbread.co.uk Best food and drink shops in Bristol The Bristol Cheesemonger Shopping in a shipping container is cool, right? Literally in the case of The Bristol Cheesemonger, since the space is also refrigerated; proprietor Rosie Morgan sells excellent More Wine bag-in-box wine and the most marvellous array of British cheeses, including an awesome trio of cheddars (when in the West Country…). bristol-cheese.co.uk Bristol Sweet Mart Head to Easton (east of Bristol city centre) to find Bristol Sweet Mart, a glorious South Asian emporium where you can buy anything from tiffin boxes to bunches of herbs, chutneys, fresh pickles, pulses and grains (make sure to nose through the gargantuan selection of spices). sweetmart.co.uk Wai Yee Hong Apart from having one of the funniest Twitter profiles out there, Wai Yee Hong is a behemoth of a Chinese supermarket, requiring a whole day to fully explore its shelves. Charge round with a shopping trolley stocking up on all things Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai. waiyeehong.com St Nicholas' Market Soak up the atmosphere at St Nicholas’ Market which offers everything from wheatgrass juice to handmade Pieminister pies (try the Heidi with Somerset goat’s cheese), and pulled pork sandwiches from Grillstock Smokeshack. At the gorgeous Source food hall & café, grab a Gloucester Old Spot sausage roll or stock up on local goodies. bristol.gov.uk/st-nicholas-markets Reg the Veg Take your pick from the veg-laden cart outside another Bristol stalwart, Reg the Veg greengrocers. Reg has moved on and it’s now run by John Hagon and son Tom. Vegetables come from nearby Failand or in the case of asparagus, the Wye Valley. There’s Bradley’s apple juice and Ooh! Chocolata bars made in Nailsea too. regtheveg.co.uk Foodie neighbourhood to explore: Wapping Wharf Situated on Bristol’s historic floating harbour, Wapping Wharf is one of the city’s coolest and best loved neighbourhoods. And for good reason. It boasts a collection of shipping containers housing some of the best independent restaurants, bakeries and bars in Bristol. Here you’ll find more casual dining, lunches to grab after a visit to Bristol's famous M Shed museum as well as harbourside evening dining. There’s well known Bristol institution Root, for vegetable, seasonal-led eating, and Gambas for authentic waterside tapas (not to be missed, the garlic butter sizzling pil pil prawns). For a quick bite grab a New York style bagel from Bagelry Box, served from an old horse box – this small menu doesn't skimp on quality with freshly baked hand-rolled bagels filled with 10-hour smoked pastrami and all the trimmings – an ideal lunch alongside a coffee from Mokoko sat by the water. For finer dining head to Lapin, a small French eatery with modern twists: try golden comté gougères, Brixham scallops with garlic butter, and roast aubergine ratatouille with pistou. The best way to satisfy your after-dinner sweet tooth might be a trip to Swoon Gelato for its rich, creamy Italian artisan gelato, the pistachio and Bacio (hazelnut and chocolate) being nothing short of perfect. If you fancy grabbing anything for the road, independent supermarket Better Food stocks an array of great local Somerset produce, from cheeses, milk from Bruton Dairy and seasonal organic veg to delicious breads from Batches Bakery and local chocolate Where to stay in Bristol The Bristol First time visitors entering by Prince Street will be surprised and delighted to discover that that across the lobby of The Bristol lies the harbour, making it a great base for exploring much of the city’s most vibrant food scene. The hotel’s classic afternoon tea in the River Grille provides the opportunity to see the iconic yellow ferries putter along over cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge and hyper-local Bird and Blend tea. Next door is contemporary Rick’s Bar, for sharing boards and brunch on the terrace and signature cocktails at the bar. Book a cosy Harbourside Room for views of the Bristol Eye ferris wheel. Rooms from £98, B&B from £125. Check availability at booking.com The Artist Residence Looking for a place to stay in Bristol? The unstoppable Artist Residence team has restored a Georgian townhouse, previously an old boot factory, right by Bristol’s eclectic city centre. Loft rooms have standalone bathtubs, whilst the luxurious Lookout room on the top floor is spread over two levels with a private terrace for views over the city. Doubles from £154, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com More UK travel guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in Broadstairs Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Words by Esther Clark, Laura Rowe, Claire Thomson (Bristol-based chef and the author of three cookbooks), Mark Taylor, Rosie Sharratt, Tory Parks, Kate Authers, Christine Hayes and Helen Salter Photography by Sam Gibson, Mike Lusmore, Getty, Kirstie Young
From top-notch brunches and bakeries to bao buns and special occasion restaurants, this is an insider guide to where to eat in Tooting
Tooting doesn’t try too hard, with all the grit and authenticity a true London neighbourhood should have, but with a sprinkling of gentrification. This exciting mix ensures it’s satisfyingly varied for locals and thrillingly unexpected for occasional visitors. Speciality coffee and independent bakery fans will be delighted with the offering, while foodies looking for something different to sink their teeth into will rush with anticipation to the Afghan, Spanish and Taiwanese outposts. For more south London restaurant recommendations, check out our guides to the best restaurants in Battersea or the best restaurants in Brixton. Best places to eat and drink in Tooting Juliet's Quality Foods My local happy place and quite honestly one of the reasons I started looking to live in Tooting. This is an Aussie-style brunch spot everyone wants within walking distance. Uber-talented Julian Porter is at the helm and the menu is filled with his travel-inspired dishes. But it’s the trusty classics like Sweet Maria (sweetcorn fritters with grilled halloumi, tomato, coriander, avocado and homemade kasundi sauce) that ensure this cool spot is always busy. I have been known to Deliveroo the dark chocolate, marshmallow and sea salt cookies to my house in sugar-desperate moments. @julietsqualityfoods Cut the Mustard While some bakeries produce overly sweet hybrid bakes to follow the trends, Cut the Mustard keeps things classic with unbeatable French-style viennoiserie. This small scale bakery has a handful of branches across south-west London and continues to grow. Expect perfectly poured coffee (from UK roastery Campbell & Syme), buttery pain an chocolats and cakes so moist it will dictate an afternoon tea break. cutthemustardcafe.com The Little Taperia This charming restaurant finds itself on every top Tooting eats list for good reason. Spanish classics reign supreme here – pan con tomate, croquetas de jamón and tortilla sit alongside its own creations (morcilla scotch eggs never leave the menu due to popularity). Grab a cosy corner table with a group of friends and make your way through the tempting menu. Open every day for lunch and dinner, it is a failsafe place to have a flavour-filled meal. thelittletaperia.co.uk Watan A family-run restaurant celebrated for its warm hospitality and authentic Afghan and Pakistani cuisine. The shiny dining room is expansive and the extensive menu can be overwhelming, so I recommend asking your waiter for suggestions. If in doubt, the Afghani mixed grill is a good place to start – a platter stacked high with delicious marinated meats and fragrant rice. watanrestaurant.co.uk/tooting Milk Run Little sister of the hyped Balham brunch hang-out Milk, this bakery and café prides itself on sell-out creative pastries and speciality coffee. The pale pink interiors and terracotta tiles may tick all the Instagram boxes but it is definitely not style over substance here. Choose a special – the team works wonders with seasonal fruit – or opt for my favourite, the crème brûlée danish, a flaky, creamy wonder. milk.london/milkrun Smoke & Salt In an area awash with casual dining options, Smoke & Salt offers something a bit more refined but without the pretense. It started out as a pop-up but is now a Michelin-recognised restaurant. The interiors are simple and allow you to focus on the energetic open kitchen. Visit for a special dinner – seasonal tasting menus are surprisingly affordable and often feature wood-smoked and fired dishes. smokeandsalt.com Daddy Bao When I lived in Peckham, Mr Bao was my go-to for fun fluffy buns. Now I live in Tooting, its second branch, Daddy Bao, is my local for Taiwanese cuisine. It’s a buzzy place to enjoy a plum wine negroni with fried chicken, handmade dumplings and, of course, a selection of bao (the pork belly with house pickles and roasted peanut is my favourite). daddybao.co.uk Check out more London restaurant guides: Best restaurants in Marylebone Best restaurants in Mayfair Best restaurants in Fitzrovia Best restaurants near Oxford Street Best restaurants in Brixton Best restaurants in Notting Hill Best restaurants in Battersea Best restaurants in Shoreditch Best restaurants in Camden Best restaurants in Covent Garden Best restaurants in Soho Best restaurants in Kings Cross Best restaurants in Hackney Best restaurants in Paddington
Discover the tavernas with sun-dappled courtyards, the top bakeries, coolest wine bars and more with our guide to the best places to eat and drink in Athens
Looking for the best restaurants, bars and café's in Greece's foodie capital? We asked Athens-based Kate Lough for her top recommendations. For more European travel guides, check out our picks of the best restaurants in Porto or the best European city breaks. After falling more and more in love with Athens over the past 18 months, I moved to its Kypseli neighbourhood in January 2025 – the fitting culmination of a childhood spent devouring Greek myths, exploring its sun-drunk islands and studying its ancient language. An undulating city that straddles ancient and modern, Athens fizzes with a creative energy. Its gastronomic scene also ripens from month to month, as homegrown chefs open dynamic restaurants and native wine producers bolster its drinks menus. From old-school classics to contemporary tavernas, here are a handful of my favourites, many of which celebrate homegrown ingredients, methods and vines. Best places to eat and drink in Athens Linou Soumpasis & Sia, Psiri Open since 2022, Linou Soumpasis & Sia is one of the best examples of Athens’ neo-gastronomy. It's a love letter to Greek produce and wines, including some brilliant pet nats, and most of its offerings are made from scratch. An all-white space is perked up with metal tables and chairs and wooden counters (a great option for solo diners), and warmed with skinny beeswax church candles — apt for a former candle shop. Choose from top quality dishes with a pescatarian leaning such as hot wild greens, tuna carpaccio in watermelon oil and grilled John Dory. New for 2025, it now serves breakfast — including a delicious schnitzel bun. Seychelles, Keramikos Located in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Keramikos, Seychelles is an older favourite on the neo-taverna scene. Always packed, this relaxed spot works just as well for a long lunch with friends as it does perching at the small bar for a late dinner à deux. The menu, inspired by small producers around Greece, changes regularly, but make sure to try its stalwart beef pappardelle, topped with soft mizithra cheese. Taverna Ton Filon, Kolonos Drawing a loyal crowd to scruffy Kolonos, Taverna Ton Filon is a co-venture from chef Yiannis Mousios and sommelier Giorgos Kontorizos. Charmingly decorated in homage to its 1950s origins, this modern taverna riffs on traditional Greek dishes, paired with good value Greek wines. The menu changes daily, but you can expect plates such as roasted beetroot with walnut skordalia, grilled sardines and some excellent wedges of potato — plus, for dessert, an addictive chocolate mousse laced with salt. In summer, the softly lit courtyard space is one of the loveliest alfresco spots in Athens. instagram.com/tavernatonfilon Oikonomou, Ano Petralona Opposite the much loved Zefyros outdoor cinema in the leafy neighbourhood of Ano Petralona, Oikonomou has been serving up comforting family recipes since 1930. With its chequered tile floor and joyful primrose yellow walls, it is a simple, homely taverna that nourishes stomach and soul. Alongside pitchers of hyma (house wine), order traditional dishes such as fava, rooster with spaghetti and roast lamb, which falls off the bone. On sunnier days, sit at one of its pavement tables under the shade of olive trees. Manari Taverna, Monastiraki A newcomer to the Athenian scene at the end of 2024, Manari has quickly cemented itself as one of the hottest tables in town. From the founder of Birdman and Nolan, it focuses heavily on meat, with a hefty chunk of its menu cooked over fire. Come with a big group and order a pile of the oregano-marinated chicken or mutton paidakia and the melt-in-the-mouth lamb giouvetsi, alongside its cabbage salad and top-notch patates. Make sure to book ahead. manaritaverna.com Epta Martyres, Neos Kosmos Run by a group of friends, this is a low-intervention wine bar with meze dishes inspired by the tsipouradika bars of Volos – where many of the team come from and sister to Loggia in Sifnos. Sit outside with a pét nat and make your way through the chef ’s surprise plates. @eptamartyres.athens Ta Kanaria, Moschato An idyllic option for Sunday lunch, you will be surrounded by Greek families in the sun-dappled courtyard of Ta Kanaria. Run by the Argyropoulos family since the 1950s, this fish taverna has no menu, which only makes it more delightful. Dark olives, thick slices of olive oil-drenched feta and a perfect tomato salad (with grated onion) are served ahead of platters of plump prawns and excellent whole fish such as bream or red mullet sold by the kilo. Pharaoh, Exarchia Don’t let its location on a dodgy street between Exarchia and Omonia put you off. Once inside, Pharoah always delivers on a sexy vibe. The proud owner of a Michelin Bib Gourmand, it combines village-style dishes cooked the old fashioned way (over fire and in wood ovens), an extensive natural wine list from Greece and beyond, and vinyl. Once the kitchen closes, it transforms into a late-night bar, soundtracked by the city’s finest DJs. pharaoh.gr Di Porto, Monastiraki Another Athenian institution, you will find Di Porto down a few stairs in a nondescript basement opposite the Varvakeios fish market. Workers and visitors mingle at this no-menu joint that has been in operation since the late 1800s. Retsina is served in aluminium jugs, bread is plonked straight onto butcher’s paper stretched across its few tables and plates (made with ingredients from the market) include simple things such as chickpeas, meat stews and Greek salad. No-frills authenticity. Black Salami, Exarchia The Black Salami micro-bakery makes the best sandwiches in Athens, with its chewy yet crispy focaccia-style bread. It sells out every day by closing time at 5pm, so get there early to choose the best fillings — including my favourite with mortadella, tomato, feta and pistachios. instagram.com/the_black_salami_microbakery Materia Prima, Pagrati Occupying a gorgeous spot on the edge of Mesolongiou Square in Pagrati, this is the second wine bistro from the Materia Prima team. A changing menu of dishes such as potato cakes, pasta with lemon and wild mushrooms, and short ribs with celeriac are married with an impressive wine list that changes monthly — and runs the gamut from Greek Assyrtikos and Xinomavros to Pinot Noirs from Chile. materiaprima.gr Dexamenes, Kolonaki An all-day spot leading up the pedestrianised street from Dexameni Square, this is a winner for a sunny weekend lunch in elegant Kolonaki. Informal and walk-in only — there is often a queue but it moves quickly — Dexamenes sets up its dark green tables on the pavement and serves up a reasonably priced menu of mezze-style dishes such as dakos salad and fried calamari, with jugs of white or tall glasses of cloudy ouzo. Afterwards, you can climb nearby Lycabettus Hill for a spectacular view of the Acropolis and the wider sprawl of Athens below. Kennedy Vins, Syntagma Self-styled as a ‘sans sulphite listening bar’, Kennedy Vins is one of the best-looking spaces in Athens, and the latest project from photographer and magazine founder Chris Kontos. Small but perfectly formed, the bar has a thoughtful list of wines from small French producers — with a focus on the Alsace region — simple plates of cheese and charcuterie and a high-end sound system for records, which Kontos personally selects each evening. instagram.com/kennedyvins Diporto, Downtown Diporto sits in a nondescript basement opposite the Varvakeios fish market. Workers and visitors mingle at this no-menu joint, in operation since the late 1800s. Retsina is served in aluminium jugs, bread is plonked straight onto butcher’s paper and plates include simple but market-fresh grilled sardines and stews. Kora Bakery, Kolonaki Near the bottom of Lycabettus Hill, Kora is a contemporary Athenian bakery specialising in sourdough and viennoiserie. Stop by for a high quality loaf, a pain au chocolat or one of its famous salted cookies. Look out for its fleeting offerings, including hot cross buns at Easter (a nod to co-founder Ianthi Michalaki’s time in London) or melomakarona (small honey cakes) at Christmas. korabakery.com Tanini Agapi Mou, Exarchia One of the pioneers of Athens’ natural wine scene, Tanini Agapi Mou (which translates as ‘Tanin my love’) has an impressive cellar of 100 all-Greek natural wines — most of which are available by the glass. Its knowledgeable, friendly staff are on hand to guide you through the vast menu (helpful ruler included), which roams from Serifos to Crete to Thessaly. Plus, look out for its regular tasting nights. taniniagapimou.gr Wine is Fine, Monastiraki A hit since it opened in 2023, this Gallo-Greek natural wine bar and restaurant puts a relaxed spin on white-tablecloth drinking and dining. Settle in at one of its pavement tables, and make your way through its low or no-intervention glasses of the day — soaked up with a bowl of its much loved cacio e pepe. Walk-ins only. wineisfine.gr A foodie day trip outside of Athens An hour’s drive from central Athens, just over the Corinth Canal, lies the Peloponnese. Book in for lunch at Kavos 1964, an iconic family-run taverna known for its fish and shellfish dishes. After a quick dip on the tiny beach nearby, order some taramasalata, kalamaraki and horta (wild greens) to start, before sharing a vast platter of spaghetti with clams. After a long lunch, you can visit the ancient theatre in Epidaurus, which is only a short drive away and one of Greece’s most important archaeological sites. More travel guides Best European mountain escapes Best Morocco food trips Best French food trips Best Spanish food trips Best Portuguese food trips Best European vineyards to visit and stay Best foodie city breaks by train Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best country house hotels in the UK Best Scottish hotels
5 reasons to buy our December and January issue
Discover the highlights from this month's issue of olive magazine, including trusted recipes and expert advice. Plus, find out how to subscribe.
olive is brought to you by the same team as Good Food, Britain’s leading food media brand. All our recipes are developed and thoroughly tested by experts, so you know they’ll work every time. Our writers are food experts, so when we make a restaurant recommendation or review a destination or product, you can trust our opinion. Order direct to your door, download the issue or subscribe AND get your first 5 issues for just £5! Out now in all supermarkets and newsagents. Five reasons to buy our December and January issue Snow food Discover our cosiest winter warmers for hunkering down – from a gooey ham hock, spinach and cheeseboard lasagne to slow roast rotisserie-style chicken with crisp chicken fat potatoes. European winter road trips Hit the road for stunning views with regional cheeses, coastal seafood and everything in between – from Calabria to Burgundy. Celebration food to impress from John Gregory-Smith Make restaurant-worthy dishes at home for your loved ones with John’s seasonal menu-to-impress. Expert guidance to keep new year resolutions If you struggle to abide by your ambitious goals, Rosalind Ryan reveals the best way of making them last past January. Gurd Loyal’s hot takes In his new series, olive’s trends expert shares a hot-off-the-press recipe that’s making waves in the food world. This month – a fiery Turkish dumpling. Subscribe to our magazine Save money vs paying in the shops and subscribe to olive magazine today AND get your first 5 issues for just £5! As one of our magazine subscribers, you'll also enjoy these great benefits: Free delivery direct to your door, so you never miss an issue Bonus digital access to the olive guide to making sourdough Get £5 off every order at the olive shop Discounts on tickets to Good Food Shows Risk-free shopping: cancel your subscription at any time Order now *UK, Direct Debit offer only Order direct to your door, download the issue or subscribe. Out now in all supermarkets and newsagents.
Giorgi Mindiashvili, Georgian restaurateur and owner of soon to open DakaDaka in London, shares what makes the cuisine of his homeland so special
From cheesy khachapuri to hearty stews and unique local wines, Georgia has plenty to offer foodies. Restaurateur Giorgi Mindiashvili shares the things he loves the most about his homeland. After you've read our guide below, check out our guides to Turkey and Finland, then discover our Turkish recipes. Georgian food: 10 things we love Khachapuri We have endless varieties of khachapuri, each from a different region. From boat-shaped adjaruli, filled with mixture of imeruli and sulguni cheese, and topped with butter and egg yolk, to round imeruli stuffed with fresh curd cheese, and chakhragina, my personal favourite, filled with chard and salty cheese. Khinkali No Georgian table is complete without khinkali, our famous dumplings. The story goes that they travelled from the east centuries ago, carried by nomadic tribes crossing the Caucasus. Today they’re made in every region, each with its own touch – some with beef and pork, some with lamb, mushrooms or cheese curds. To eat one properly, pick it up by the twisted stalk (we call it the belly button), turn it upside down, take a bite, slurp the hot broth, then eat the rest. It’s a meal and a ritual in one. Spices Tbilisi’s position on the old Silk Road means centuries of spice passed through our kitchens. From Persian saffron to Syrian coriander and Indian flatbreads, everything found a way into Georgian cooking. The backbone of our flavour is khmeli suneli, a golden-green spice blend of blue fenugreek, marigold and coriander. It seasons our stews – kharcho and satsivi – and ties the country’s east and west together in one shared taste. Georgian wine Georgia is where wine was born. Archaeologists have found evidence of winemaking dating back to 8,000 BC. We still use qvevri – large clay vessels buried underground – to ferment and age the wine, allowing it to breathe naturally. It’s not a trend here, it’s ancestry. The soils, often chalky and mineral-rich, give our wines a saline edge. In the east, the region of Kakheti produces structured, powerful wines from grapes like saperavi, rkatsiteli, khikhvi and krakhuna. In the west, Imereti and Samegrelo give lighter, more aromatic expressions – tsitska, tsolikouri, ojaleshi, otskhanuri sapere. We distil the left-over grape must into fiery chacha (our grappa) and we make churchkhela, candle-shaped sweets of walnuts dipped in thickened grape juice. Walnuts – the sacred ingredient Almost every Georgian household has a walnut tree in its garden. We use walnuts in everything: as the base for sauces and spreads, for thickening stews and in countless versions of pkhali – finely ground walnuts mixed with spinach, aubergine or the wild mountain herb ekala. It’s one ingredient that defines the Georgian palate: earthy, nutty, nourishing and beautifully versatile. Supra and sharing-style menus If you really want to understand Georgia, start with a supra. These traditional feasts used to take place outdoors. There would be catfish in coriander-vinegar sauce, crispy suckling pig, whole chicken, tomato and cucumber salads, bundles of herbs, spring onions and radishes, bowls of pkhali – vibrant walnut and vegetable spreads – and still-warm shoti bread fresh from the clay oven. Every supra has a tamada, the toastmaster, who leads the table in toasts – to love, to peace, to the future – often accompanied by polyphonic singing. These days supras are mostly for celebrations and holidays but their spirit lives on in sharing-style dining in Georgian households and restaurants. Festive feasting Before Orthodox Christmas (7 January) many Georgians observe a 40-day plant-based fast. When the fast breaks it’s not just a meal, it’s renewal. Families gather, bringing dishes from their own homes: satsivi (chicken in walnut-garlic sauce), Rachan ham, aubergine pkhali, crispy roast pork and gozinaki, walnut and honey sweets. Candles glow in the window, a special cloth covers the table and the house fills with warmth. Rachan ham In the Racha mountains, people make a cured ham called lori. The pig is slaughtered in October, the hams hung, smoked and left to dry for months in the cold air. In winter, thin slices are added to lobio – a claypot stew of red beans, walnuts and spices – then sealed under a layer of cornbread and slow cooked over fire. The flavour is smoky, nutty and deep, like Georgia’s answer to cassoulet. Shkmeruli Named after the highland village of Shkmeri, this dish is the essence of Georgian comfort food. A spatchcock chicken is pan-fried until crisp, then cooked with garlic in its own juices. In the city people began to whisk the pan juices with a little cream, creating a silky emulsion not unlike a Basque pil pil. Traditionally it’s cooked in cast iron with a heavy stone on top for the perfect crust. Once served it’s drenched in its own hot garlicky sauce – simple, humble, extraordinary. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2024/04/GettyImages-1314856610-85f3a0e.jpg" width="594" height="396" alt="Shkmeruli, is a traditional Georgian dish of chicken in garlic sauce. Both sides of the chicken are fried and then is cooked over low heat for 20–25 minutes in the covered pan. When the chicken is done, it is placed in a plate and a little oil from the pan is added; garlic and nuts are simmered along with water in the remaining oil. After 5 minutes, the chicken is added to this mixture and heated before serving. Almaty, Kazakhstan. (Photo by: Kushamanov Didar/Majority World/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)" title="Shkmeruli, is a traditional Georgian dish of chicken in garlic sauce." /> Hearty stews Comforting stews slow cooking for hours over a stove are a staple in Georgian households. These include kharcho (beef, tomatoes, herbs and ghomi, our version of grits), workers’ favourite ostri (spicy beef with chilli and deep umami), chicken chahhokhbili braised with tomatoes, herbs and fiery ajika paste, and bright spring chakapuli with lamb, tarragon and sour plums. Perhaps the most beloved of all is satsivi, made of cold chicken bathed in thick walnut sauce, finished with saffron oil. 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Best restaurants in Hackney: where locals eat and drink
Check out our favourite restaurants, cafes, bars and foodie spots in Hackney. Try Sicilian red prawns, fragrant curries dipped into buttery homemade roti, and one of the best-value tasting menus in town
Looking for Hackney restaurants? Here are our favourite restaurants in London's North Eastern borough. The best foodie spots include tasting menu at Nest, unusual wines at Sager + Wilde and Cretan food at Morito. Check out our ideas for eating and drinking in Hackney, from Hackney Road to Homerton and London Fields... Best places to eat and drink in Hackney Albers, Du Beauvoir – for small plate classics with a twist Albers is a small corner room in De Beauvoir, all big windows and candlelight, with bikes sliding past outside and a faint Edward Hopper Nighthawks feeling to the scene. Inside, white walls and warm wood keep things simple, the tables close, the mood sociable. It’s the sort of place that wants to be your local even if you’ve crossed town for it. The cooking sits in that appealing middle ground between pub comfort and bistro intent: classics remembered, then gently tilted. I drank a sage cordial with soda, sweet and syrupy in the best way, and lifted by a soft herbal edge. The sardine ragu croquette was the first real wink from the kitchen: crisp outside, creamy within, deep with sardine warmth and finished with a generous parmesan dusting. Grey mullet crudo with cranberry and citrus was all balance, sharpness layered on sharpness, the fish cool and slightly creamy, the fruit giving tart little bursts. Sausage with sauerkraut and quince came rich and peppery, handmade and satisfying, the kraut leaning sweet-sour, quince adding a gentle perfume. The smoked eel and bacon caesar salad was the dish I kept going back to: smoke from eel and bacon folding into the salty anchovy depth of the dressing, crisp leaves: a bold take on something you think you know. Celeriac with confit egg was decadent and nutty. Bluefin tuna with peppercorn sauce was pleasant enough, thick buttery slices and a clean sear, though the sauce felt a touch thin and the temperature slightly off. Dessert was a maple and hazelnut ice cream sandwich: the biscuit was a little firm but the maple ice cream was silky smooth and toasty. Service is friendly, still smoothing its edges, and there’s no coffee or hot drinks to stretch the evening. Still, Albers feels like a place settling into itself. albers.london Mambow, Clapton – for modern Malaysian dishes Abby Lee has become eponymous with Malaysian cuisine in London. After years of pop-ups and a street-food outpost in Peckham, the chef opened a bricks-and-mortar space in northeast London. It’s a casual spot complete with pretty, mismatched tiles, bench seating and a lively soundtrack. Half of the small space is dedicated to an open kitchen, where Abby and her team dart between simmering pots and sizzling pans to create fiery, fragrant modern Malaysian dishes. Highlights include the signature lor bak – five spice pork encased in crisp, frilly beancurd, deep-fried stone bass steak in a lively Nyonya-style tamarind curry sauce and sticky, double-roasted pork belly pieces coated in a silky kecap manis caramel glaze, served with blue rice (to match Abby’s fabulous hair colour). There’s only one dessert option, but it has plenty going for it – a bright green pandan pancake filled with brown sugar and desiccated coconut, served with coffee ice cream. There’s a succinct natural wine list as well as Malaysian twists on classic cocktails. The floral, thirst-quenching Juice Box softens the heat from the spicier dishes, while the 100+ Sour is a refreshing concoction of gin, coconut liquor, miso syrup and blackberry. mambow.co.uk A Bar With Shapes For A Name– for cocktails The name of Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat’s Bauhaus-inspired bar takes pictorial form – the signage on Dalston’s Kingsland Road featuring a yellow triangle, red square and blue circle. If that sounds a little complicated then rest assured once you step into the bar – colloquially referred to as Shapes – everything takes a decidedly more minimalist turn. Inside, bare bones interiors look more akin to a science classroom than anything else, with bartenders flitting around in brightly coloured jumpsuits. The drinks list at Shapes is pleasingly pithy – just seven house cocktails and six bottled cocktails. The martini-style Habanero is an ingenious affair, using a distillate made from yellow habanero peppers that delivers all the vegetal flavours of the pepper minus the heat – funky and savoury, with a zingy Campari jelly garnish. The xscold is a surprising twist on a marg – here, eucalyptus adds a menthol edge to the herbaceous flavours of Amarás espadin mezcal and Ocho 8 tequila for a refreshing agave treat. From the bottled cocktails, a manhattan uses Buffalo Trace bourbon fat washed in olive oil, and a turmeric distillate, for a boozy whisky cocktail with dried date notes and fruity, earthy richness. clubbauhaus.com Marquee Moon – for a vibrant restaurant-cum-cocktail bar If you’re seeking a vibrant venue in Dalston that perfectly marries exceptional cuisine with a lively atmosphere, look no further than The Marquee Moon, the latest venture from the creative minds behind The Cause and All My Friends. This trendy establishment boasts an eclectic sharing menu that puts a fresh twist on contemporary pub classics, all with a nod to East Asian flavours. The Marquee Moon is a feast for the senses. Begin your evening in the stylish downstairs area, where you can indulge in melt-in-the-mouth sambal short ribs and an impressive portion of dan dan noodles. As the night progresses the vibe shifts seamlessly into a dance party, complemented by the expertly crafted cocktails. Don’t miss the Hot Alfonso Marg, a true standout, made with reposado tequila vacuum-sealed with Alphonso mangoes and cooked sous vide to extract their rich flavour. It’s then expertly mixed with manzanilla, agave, lime and a sprinkle of Tajín for a cocktail that’s as balanced as it is delicious. Whether you’re dining or dancing, The Marquee Moon promises an unforgettable experience. themarqueemoon.uk Casa Fofó, Hackney Downs – for a great-value tasting menu An exceptional, yet accessible, haven for Hackney foodies where continental flavours collide without breaking the bank. Casa Fofó is the baby of Italian head chef Adolfo De Cecco, who’s best known for his time at Pidgin, and is joined by alumni from his time here – sous chef Sam Coleman and chef de partie Giuseppe Pepe. Eight courses are kicked off with a super-crisp potato cake finger with a spiced slice of pickled daikon and lardo, taken from a well-fed Middle White pig. The menu, which is tweaked daily, is Marie Kondo-esque minimal with only a few words to describe each finely tuned dish, making each arrival a pleasant surprise. casafofolondon.co.uk Angelina, Dalston – for Italian-Japanese fusion Sleek and buzzy. Angelina’s minimalist interiors include high ceilings, oversized pendant lamps, plenty of indoor greenery and wooden floors. Sit in dusky-toned chairs to eat, or perch at a counter surrounding the open kitchen and watch the chefs calmly at work. Simple yet refined Italian-Japanese cooking is the focus, and their dining concept is boldly simple: a 13-course sharing menu for £68. The menu starts with elegant fish and seafood crudités: Sicilian red prawns, dusted with roasted rice powder and drizzled with olive oil, has a lusciously soft, almost creamy texture, while rich tuna belly is pepped up by a zingy blood orange dressing. Sea bream with mirin is salty-fresh. angelina.london Pophams, London Fields – for pastries and pasta The team behind the popular East London bakery has smartly moved its pastry skills into pasta territory for evenings in the London Fields branch. Don’t fret, bakes are still very much present, with hunks of fresh-from-the-oven sourdough to start, homemade caraway-flecked crackers to scoop up smoked trout pâté and a perfectly formed croissant apple tart, filled with buttery sesame compote, intricate slices of apple and a moat of vanilla custard. These baked delights bookmark the evening’s main event: a short selection of fresh, homemade pasta shapes coated, filled and topped with seasonal sauces. Favourites on our visit were casoncelli parcels filled with a white veal mince bolognese, tossed in butter, guanciale pieces and parmesan. Orecchiette are made with toasted sourdough flour, coated in chicken butter sauce as a vehicle for dinky chicken meatballs. Order a side of pan-fried and roasted Romana courgette sticks with a light coating of fine sourdough and sun-dried tomato crumbs. pophamsbakery.com/pasta Equal Parts, Hackney Road – for Italian aperitivo Michael Sager has partnered with Matteo Vaccargiu to open an Italian aperitivo bar in a green tiled-fronted corner spot, a few doors down from the original Sager + Wilde wine bar. It’s an elegant yet unfussy space, with plenty of wood panelling, flickering candles and vinyl twirling on the decks. Perch at the window ledge to watch trendy passers-by or bag a spot at the bar to see the team shake and stir signature cocktails in front of an impressive line-up of amaros, aperitivo and bitters. The Flor cocktail combines fino sherry and olive oil vodka with Matteo’s elevated clarification of fresh tomato, basil, chilli and a tiny touch of garlic for a bright, fresh finish, alla liquid bruschetta to evoke the Sardinian coast. The Orange is a gluggable concoction of orange wine, Meletti amaro and pear and elderflower syrup, while the ACE makes a refreshing twist on the garibaldi combining carrot cordial, fresh orange juice, Campari and soda. A seasonal infusion makes its way into a trio of classics; on our visit a strawberry and fig leaf martini combo that brightened the negroni, sbagliato and americano. equalpartslondon.com Cinco, Dalston – for Mexican-inspired cocktails Hidden away underneath sister restaurant Corrochio’s, Cinco is a rustic, sultry basement den with flickering candles and bare concrete walls decorated with Mexican art. First and foremost a bar that specialises in agave and Mexican spirits, its collection – including rare bottlings – is curated by Corrochio founders Daniel Corrochio and Amy McQuarrie from their travels across Daniel’s native Mexico. The bar even has its own in-house mezcal available to try and buy. Cocktails are surprising and layered, showcasing the full breadth of what agave spirits have to offer. The Doña Mago uses raicilla (another agave spirit), tomato liqueur, plum sake, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur and plum and tomato cordial for a fabulous margarita-esque drink with smoky, fruity, tangy charm. Another next-level take on a marg comes in the form of the El Chihuas, with sotol (another Mexican distillate, made from the desert spoon plant), fig, guanabana and yuzu liqueurs. The end result is a tropical, creamy drink with a delicate floral edge. The Mujer Moderna features butter-washed Abasolo whisky, Nixta corn liqueur, crème de cacao and chocolate bitters for an opulent, cocoa-tinged interpretation of an old fashioned. Cinco also has a nice little roster of no- and low-alcohol cocktails made using alcohol-free spirits and Mexican ingredients – the La Bikini Cero, with non-alcoholic agave spirit, chilli syrup, verdita water and pineapple has a pleasing spicy kick. corrochios.com WAVE – for leisurely plant-based brunches Tucked down a quiet backstreet off buzzy Hackney Central lies a plant-based oasis. WAVE (We Are Vegan Everything) does exactly what it says on the tin and more: a fully vegan menu of brunches, pastries, bakes and drinks, set among Bali beach-inspired interiors with a neutral colour palette, rattan furniture and hanging macramé plants. Deliciously cooked brunches are available until 4pm for laid-back weekends. The shakshuka with creamy butter beans comes topped with a convincing vegan egg made from whipped tahini yogurt and hollandaise. Eat the rainbow with the brekkie bowl of scrambled tofu, perfectly ripe avocado, roast tomatoes, hummus, sautéed kale and homemade barbecue beans. Açai bowls can be levelled up with Trip CBD, protein powder, maca powder and nut butters. Daily fresh treats from the counter include pasty perfection from up-and-coming plant-based bakery Okja in Spitalfields. Don’t sleep on these – the pistachio and lemon one is zesty and refreshing, while the chocolate hazelnut pastry hits the vegan Nutella spot. Standard coffee fare is available but it’s worth trying the salted coffee or peanut butter latte for a punchy caffeine hit, while the vibrant turmeric and beetroot lattes provide plant-powered goodness. Take it one step further with a medicinal lion’s mane latte or cordyceps chai – or make it a boozy brunch with a bloody mary. Walk-ins only. weareveganeverything.com Sune, Broadway Market – for eclectic small plates and natural wines Sommelier Honey Spencer and her partner Charlie Sims have curated hospitality experience from restaurants across the world to open their own place in Hackney. There’s a real neighbourhood-style buzz to the contemporary space, with a striking terracotta light installation casting a warm glow across the gnarled dark wood tables, prints of fresh produce and sweeping counter with floor-to-ceiling wine racks behind. Honey showcases natural wines, with plenty by the glass, from orange Czech pet nat to fresh Georgian Tsolikouri and South African Syrah. The menu is eclectic and bold, rotating dishes such as crisp potato cake topped with guindilla, anchovies and espelette pepper, sea bass crudo slivers in a vibrant borscht vinaigrette and the signature grilled pork chop bathing in a bisque-style prawn and lemongrass sauce, best paired with whipped brown butter emulsion spooned over pink fir potatoes. Head chef Michael Robins plays with his Canadian heritage in a homage to Montreal’s L’Express, where chefs meet after service for DIY beef tartare and croque Monsieur hybrids. At Sune, he tops a crisp, cheesy toastie with dairy beef tartare for a truly indulgent interlude between courses. sune.restaurant From The Ashes at Five Points Courtyard – for next-level BBQ BBQ legends Martin Anderson and Curtis Bell have a new home in Five Points Brewing Co’s expansive outdoor area beneath the railway arches. The succinct menu of smoker stars includes crisp beef brisket tacos, legendary ‘nduja doughnuts and brioche buns stuffed with smoked pork, garlic mayo and pickles. Meat-free options are equally excellent – floppy flatbreads doused in zaatar to scoop up sweet squash hummus and grilled hispi cabbage slathered in vegan ‘nduja and tahini yogurt. If you can't decide what to order, the chef's BBQ platter gives a taste of three meats and sides (loaded fries and bacon-adorned lettuce wedges) for £55. fromtheashesbbq.co.uk Bambi, Netil House Drama comes in many forms, not least a well-crafted DJ set. As well as whip-smart sharing plates from chef Henry Freestone (think cauliflower cheese arancini, marinated courgettes and whipped feta, roast chicken with focaccia and green sauce), this music-led bar and restaurant comes complete with a lush vintage sound system. On Friday and Saturday nights, guest DJs curated by scene legend Charlie Dark take diners on a deep-dive into their treasured collections. bambi-bar.com Koya Ko, Broadway Market – for Japanese udon noodles Tucked away off buzzing Broadway Market, Koya’s casual, friendly little sister follows suit from noodle bars found in Japan’s train stations, with a tachi-gui (standing-while-dining) element alongside seats for customers to slurp bowls of springy udon and tuck into donburi rice bowls. Pop in for the famous English/Japanese breakfast of hot udon topped with egg, bacon and butter soy mushrooms, or traditional neba-neba breakfast rice bowl with fermented soy beans, pickled seaweed and okra and onsen tamago egg. After midday, there’s crunchy chicken kara-age with spring onion sauce and steaming bowls of udon in dashi broth. Try new menu additions, such as slow-braised beef shin on hot noodles slathered in chilli oil, the KO salad of cold udon with pickled aubergine, and plenty of mini-don rice bowls to enjoy on the go. koya.co.uk Duke of Richmond, London Fields – for French gastro pub vibes A thoughtful restoration, including cool painted floorboards, calming accents of olive and cream on the walls, blue leather banquettes, and varnished wooden tables, make for a modern pub setting. Relaxed, a little bit rowdy (as all good pubs should be) and suitably stylish for its Hackney locals. The menu might be continental in its leaning but all of the dishes feel at home in their British pub setting – think seasonal giant vol au vents, rib cap burgers with confit shallots, roquefort, bearnaise sauce and fries, and tart au citron. Seafood shines – try super-light Cornish crab soufflé, sea trout with wild fennel and Cornish crab chip butties. thedukeofrichmond.com Little Duck The Picklery, Dalston – for casual small plates Dalston’s Little Duck The Picklery is no ordinary restaurant. Describing itself as a “fermenting kitchen, eatery and wine bar”, this third venue from the same team behind Soho’s Duck Soup and Hackney’s Raw Duck centres round one large, family-style kitchen table from which head chef and proprietor Tom Hill preps and cooks a carefully curated selection of seasonal small plates, guests only an arm’s length away. Drinks and dishes are scrawled on blackboards and change each week. For breakfast, expect the likes of beef and lamb sausages with garlic yogurt, flatbreads and pickled tomatoes, masala-spiced scrambled eggs, and shiitake mushroom oats. For lunch and dinner, the Mediterranean-skewed plates linger around the £8 to £11 mark and pack serious flavour. Start with a gut-friendly daily pickle or ferment (like a kimchi or kraut, for as little as £2.50) then move on to the plates proper. littleduckpicklery.com Click here to read our full review and try Little Duck The Picklery's recipes for yourself at home Morito, Hackney Road – for Cretan small plates With polished concrete floors, a striking, horseshoe, marble-topped bar, pops of colour and Instagrammable mirrored fish-scale tiles, Morito feels very much at home in Hackney. The open kitchen is headed by co-owner Samantha Clark and head chef Marianna Leivaditaki. Formerly at Moro, Marianna grew up in Crete and developed her feel for ingredients in her family’s fish restaurant. At Morito she makes exceptionally-sourced produce shine. Buffalo butter that smacks of the farm in Thessaloniki where it began life and the headiest za’atar from Istanbul make the breadbasket irresistible. The menu is similar to that of the first Morito with tapas, mezze and larger plates at lunch and dinner, but with new dishes, too – made-to-order Moroccan breads for breakfast, homemade halloumi with pickled za’atar, and kid mechoui with goat’s curd, preserved lemon and harissa. morito.co.uk Click here to try Morito's dinner party recipes yourself The Dusty Knuckle, Dalston – for cakes and bakes Looking for a bakery in Hackney? The Dusty Knuckle is a social enterprise café and bakery with a conscience, according to co-founder Max Tobias. “The idea was that we would start a bakery that could provide employment experiences to young people at the margins of society.” Max and chef Rebecca Oliver quit their jobs and launched The Dusty Knuckle from a shipping container in 2014. After three successful years it moved a few metres to a new permanent home opposite. It also runs regular bread-making classes and has ambitious plans to run a youth training academy in the future. thedustyknuckle.com/dalston Here are the best bakeries across the country… Sager + Wilde, Hackney Road – for unusual wines and date night At this casual but romantic neighbourhood wine bar, huddle up in around candlelit tables, or prop yourself up at the industrial iron grate bar and soak up knowledge from the chatty staff while getting a closer look at rare bottles displayed on the rack along the back wall. The small but thoughtful wine menu covers lesser-known regions and quirky categories such as crisp and refreshing whites from Austria and bold reds from Hungary, with a dedicated section to ‘skins’ wines (orange wines from Sicily, Alicante and beyond). Other than wine, they offer on-trend white port and tonic or punchy, refreshing bergamot negronis, as well as a selection of craft beers As well as continuing the unctuous cheese toasties (with Neil’s Yard Dairy cheese and Bread Station sourdough), a selection of seasonal small plates has been added to the menu. sagerandwilde.com Crate Brewery, Hackney Wick – for beer and pizza If you love beer and you love pizza, Crate Brewery in Hackney Wick is the best place to visit. The stone-baked pizzas are topped with unusual ingredients including a veggie Kashmiri dal and a middle eastern lamb. As you’d expect, beer is a real focus. Each week there’s a selection of guest bottles from a fruity brown ale to a dark Indian pale ale as well as regular casks and kegs of zingy lemon gose, velvety Crate stout and a crisp Crate cider. cratebrewery.com Click here for the best places to eat pizza in London Barge East, Hackney Wick – for a Sunday roast on the water Nestled among Hackney Wick's trendy warehouses and cocktail bars, Barge East is a floating kitchen and bar on the Regent’s Canal, housed in a 125-year-old Dutch barge. The restaurant, with its open kitchen, boasts seasonal menus crafted by chefs using top-notch produce, from fresh Cornish monkfish to homegrown ingredients like loquat for its Tidal Sour cocktail. F or a memorable Sunday roast, go for the three-course set menu (£39) featuring three meat options (Aberdeen Angus beef, Norfolk marshland lamb leg, Suffolk Red Bruntona pork belly) with an abundance of trimmings. Add on decadent sides like four-cheese truffle cauliflower and honey mustard glazed pigs in blankets to your order. Barge East's superb sustainable food is complemented by attentive staff, who are happy to recommend wine pairings. bargeeast.com Words by Laura Rowe, Mark Taylor, Ellie Edwards, Alex Crossley, Clare Maguire, Lydia Anderson Photography: James Moyle (Marquis Moon) Check out more London restaurant guides here: Best restaurants in Marylebone Best restaurants in Mayfair Best restaurants in Fitzrovia Best restaurants near Oxford Street Best restaurants in Brixton Best restaurants in Notting Hill Best restaurants in Battersea Best restaurants in Shoreditch Best restaurants in Camden Best restaurants in Covent Garden Best restaurants in Soho Best restaurants in London Bridge Best restaurants in Kings Cross Best restaurants in Paddington
10 cocktails for a Christmas drinks party
From Friendsmas and family gatherings to Christmas Day fizz and New Year's Eve cocktails – check out our guide to the best festive party drinks and which snacks to serve alongside
Our Christmas drinks party guide has everything you need for a next-level celebration, including twists on classic drinks (hello, Christmas spritz), sharing cocktails and plenty of festive fizz. Alongside this we've also got plenty of snack and canapé ideas for you to try. If you're short on time it's easy to give even simple drinks a festive makeover by using the right garnishes – we love using citrus wheels, whole spices such as cinnamon sticks and star anise and seasonal fruits like cranberries and pomegranates. For extra visual Christmassy appeal, try garnishing drinks with rosemary or mint dusted with icing sugar. For more festive cocktail inspiration explore our collection of 62 Christmas cocktails, 38 winter cocktails and our favourite Christmas mocktails, plus, check out the best Christmas canapé recipes. Best Christmas party cocktails Aperol spritz punch Punches are perfect for parties and this crowd-pleasing recipe uses all the components of a classic Aperol spritz plus other festive ingredients like cranberry, ginger and pomegranate. Serve alongside Italian-inspired nibbles like crostini, tarrallini and green olives. Christmas spiced negroni A negroni lends itself well to a festive makeover as all its component parts – gin, Campari and sweet vermouth – are bold enough to take extra flavourings. The homemade spiced gin in this recipe makes 500ml, so if you also scale up the Campari and sweet vermouth you can save on time and make up a big batch to serve at parties. Serve with our mozzarella sticks with spicy dipping sauce or chunks of good-quality parmesan. Paloma champagne cocktails It turns out herbaceous tequila, biscuity champagne and tart grapefruit are a match made in heaven in this easy fizzy aperitif – serve with our spicy jalapeño poppers or roasted chilli corn. Christmas mojito A summery mojito gets a Christmas makeover thanks to the addition of cranberry juice, which nicely complements the fragrant mint in the drink. The ingredients are easy to scale up so it's ideal for serving in jugs at a festive gathering. Sip alongside our sweet potato and cranberry fritters. Christmas spritz A spritz is a classic summer cocktail but a few simple tweaks can turn it into a delicious Christmas aperitif. We swapped the usual sparkling water for warming ginger beer, and added lots of seasonal garnishes like pomegranate, orange and whole spices. Swap the Aperol for Campari if you'd like a spritz with a more bittersweet character. Match these punchy flavours with equally vibrant snacks, like our deep-fried olives stuffed with ricotta and guindilla chillies. Sloe gin fizz This is where that batch of sloe gin you've had infusing away in the cupboard will come in handy (or shop-bought also works beautifully). The rich berry flavours and tart-sweet character of sloe gin balance perfectly with the lemon in this super quaffable cocktail. For an extra decadent twist, try swapping the sparkling water for dry sparkling wine or champagne – it is Christmas, after all. Serve with our fig and goat's cheese puffs. Cranberry and ginger fizz Cranberry and ginger are classic festive flavours and work well in this gently tart, pretty pink cocktail. A winner with our turkey, stuffing and cranberry sausage puffs. Christmas gin cocktail Campari adds festive colour to this supercharged gin sour cocktail – make sure you garnish with cocktail cherries for extra kitsch factor. Our tangy pickled beetroot mini tacos with goat's cheese would be a great snack pairing. Poinsettia If you’re bored of buck’s fizz, try serving this rosy-red fizzy cocktail – it’s just as easy to make and great for groups. Just as straightforward are our classic cheese straws featuring four ingredients. Mulled port with bay and rosemary If you can mull wine then port is the natural next choice – there's always lots of the stuff around at Christmas and this recipe is a great way to use it all up. It also works well cooled then served chilled with tonic water or lemonade. Try with these maple-glazed sausage blinis.
Book a booth in a cosy Italian restaurant, treat your date to an affordable candlelit dinner for two, or secure a spot with the perfect view for a romantic meal in the capital
Looking for romantic restaurants in London? Want to find affordable romantic date ideas? Here are our favourite picks in the capital, from warm and cosy restaurants to romantic restaurants with a view (click here for more spots with perfect views). We also have the UK's most romantic restaurants and the most romantic UK hotels outside of London. Now discover our effortless Valentine's Day menu ideas. Most romantic places to eat and drink in London Albers, Hackney – for classic small plates, reimagined Albers is a small corner room in De Beauvoir, all big windows, candlelight and warm wood. White walls and pared-back decor keep things calm, tables set snugly together, the atmosphere softly sociable with just enough low-light intimacy for a lingering dinner. The cooking sits in that middle ground between pub comfort and bistro intent: classics half-remembered, then gently tilted. I started with a sage cordial and soda, sweet and syrupy with a light fizz, the herb giving a quiet savoury lift. The sardine ragu croquette was the first real hello from the kitchen: crisp outside, creamy within, full of deep sardine warmth and finished with a generous parmesan dusting. Grey mullet crudo with cranberry and citrus was expertly judged, sharpness layered on sharpness, the fish cool and faintly earthy, the fruit offering tart little bursts. Sausage with sauerkraut and quince came rich and peppery, handmade and unctuous, the kraut leaning sweet-sour, quince adding a gentle perfume. The smoked eel and bacon caesar was the dish I kept returning to, smoke from eel and bacon folding into salty anchovy depth, crisp leaves slicked in dressing, a bold, comforting twist on something you think you know. Celeriac with confit egg was decadent and nutty. Bluefin tuna with peppercorn sauce was pleasant enough, thick buttery slices and a clean sear, though the sauce felt a touch thin and the temperature slightly off. Dessert was a maple and hazelnut ice-cream sandwich: the biscuit a little firm, but the maple ice cream silky, toasty and lovely. Service is friendly, still smoothing its edges, and there are no hot drinks to linger over at the end. Even so, Albers feels like a place settling into itself. albers.london Clos Maggiore, Covent Garden – for a romantic pre-theatre dinner Clos Maggiore is a little piece of the Med in Covent Garden. The conservatory, draped with blossoms and fairy lights, has a retractable roof for balmy evenings, while the main building is more cosy Provençal inn. From the French-Italian menu, expect hearty starters such as roasted duck foie gras with crisp confit duck leg and braised shoulder of Loire valley rabbit; mains of slow-cooked Charolais beef cheek and braised halibut fillet with leek fondue. Numerous vegetarian options include a roasted pumpkin, pine nut and parmesan soup and Sicilian aubergine and fig caponata, with Provençal goat’s cheese. olive tip: Close Maggiore is in the heart of the West End, so book the pre-theatre menu (two courses for £32.50, including a glass of bubbles) before treating your loved one to a West End show. closmaggiore.com Leydi, Holborn – for sharing plates Leydi sees the return of the talented Selin Kiazim (previously Oklava) to London and brings with it the spirit of Istanbul, serving an all-day menu oozing with Turkish favourites but with Selin’s unique modern twist. Launched opposite the Old Bailey in an area in Farringdon with an abundance of history, the restaurant pays tribute to the vibrancy of Istanbul’s eating culture, featuring generous, celebratory Turkish food meant to be shared and savoured. The drinks menu boasts bespoke creations from Kevin Patnode, two-time winner of the best bartender in Turkey, in addition to a transcontinental wine list with a distinctive Turkish influence. With décor featuring plush banquettes, warm lighting and understated references to Istanbul’s architecture and interiors that can only be described as elegant, this intimate 90-cover dining room is a charming setting for a date night. Order the The Leydi Deluxe to let chefs decide for you and dig into dips, kebabs, breads and salads to share. leydilondon.com The Georgian at Harrods, Knightsbridge – for luxurious surroundings There’s a place for traditionally glamorous, formal dining and Harrods is just that. While its ground floor dining hall reflects the tastes of both global restaurant-curious Londoners and food-savvy international visitors, the fourth-floor The Georgian is a British affair. By day, afternoon tea is taken in the vast, regal, chandeliered space. At night, there are cocktails, a pianist and gloriously old-fashioned trolley service. Pies are the must-order here – chef, previously of the much-lauded The Pie Room at Rosewood London, Calum Franklin’s curation includes beef shin and squash; lobster; chicken and penny bun; plus the signature lamb – with ratatouille, anchovy tempura and sweetbread for two. Whipped potatoes with buttermilk make an indulgent side dish. Pie refuseniks can chose from mains of dover sole, cod or chicken. But first there is bread with Marmite butter, starters of crab tart or pâté en croûte. Crowd-pleasing puddings include sticky toffee, lemon tart and a trifle where layers of apple, calvados and vanilla cream are constructed tableside. harrods.com/en-gb/c/restaurants/the-georgian Bottarga, Chelsea – for candlelit Greek sharing plates On a corner spot on the King’s Road, this Greek restaurant is a visual treat: cleverly lit, with playful modern art. Lovingly sourced ingredients in hero dishes ensure food is the focus, best enjoyed at a counter seat along the open kitchen. Silky taramasalata is topped with cod’s roe; anchovies served with sheep’s milk butter and slivers of crisp flatbread are a must-order; signature dish bottarga orzo is creamy and rich, perfectly paired with lamb and a superior Greek salad with caper leaf, barrel-aged feta and rusks. While chef Tzoulio Loulai sources ingredients from his homeland, the menu is not slavishly Greek: chocolate burnt cheesecake and salted caramel is a big hit on Instagram. A Greek house soundtrack ensures a buzzing atmosphere. bottarga.london "mu", Dalston – for a date-night dinner with jazz and cocktails Treat your date to an evening of jazz, Japanese food and innovative cocktails at this trendy Dalston hotspot. Drop into the buzzy bar for drinks, or book a sought-after spot in the restaurant proper, where a handful of tables with atmospheric lamp lighting provide front-row seats to the weekly jazz sets courtesy of Cuban group, Conjunto Cubano. Dishes are reasonably priced. Start with charred, skin-on pumpkin skewers, silky salmon tartare to scoop into nori sheets and plump prawns in tempura batter served with sweet and spicy nori-flecked mayo. Follow with the tonkotsu – a generous pork chop, trimmed with melting fat, crusted in panko breadcrumbs, served with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce – and umami-rich nikiri-glazed tofu with Japanese salad. A side of oyster mushrooms has an udon noodle slurpiness, coated in a glossy soy and garlic glaze. The only dessert, a seasonal crème brûlée, is ideal for sharing before another round of cocktails and the second Cuban jazz set. mu-ldn.com Holborn Dining Room – for a Parisian brasserie feel Holborn Dining Room is one of the most beautiful spaces to eat in London. An impressive, airy room with a Parisian grand brasserie vibe, banquettes and tables are positioned so each dining space feels cosy and intimate - perfect for a special date night or occasion meal. The menu champions the pastry work which made the restaurant famous (the pie menu is always available), but other additions include roast Orkney scallops with Delicia pumpkin, a shrimp burger with jalapeño tartare and a vegan version of the legendary HDR wellington with beetroot and hispi cabbage. The room is flanked down one side by a stunning copper-topped gin bar, with more than 400 varieties available, so a specialist gin cocktail is a must-order to kick things off. Try the Cornish martini made with Tarquin’s Holborn Edition, dill and samphire and Cornish wildflower liqueur. Dawn-til-dusk dining means the space is buzzing from breakfast to late – this is a real hidden gem tucked away from the main road inside the plush Rosewood London Hotel. holborndiningroom.com Isabel, Mayfair – for wow-factor and late-night dancing From its lux grill dishes, including a Galician ex-dairy côte de boeuf or a sharing Cornish dover sole with creamed spinach, preserved lemon and brown butter, to its silk jacquard wall coverings, golden ceiling and bar, this glamorous Mayfair restaurant is guaranteed to wow any date. After dinner, the beats purr, as DJs take guests through until 3am, both in the restaurant and the Dragon Room bar, downstairs. Isabel’s innovative cocktail list includes the Rosetta, a take on the French 75, garnished with a rose petal and dehydrated lychee. isabelw1.london Kitty Fisher’s, Mayfair – for an intimate romantic dinner Red velvet curtains welcome diners into this intimate bistro. A handful of tables sit snugly beside a bar, behind which jars of home-made rhubarb gin, turmeric syrup and fig leaf vodka nestle in amongst trinkets. A creaky wooden staircase in the back corner takes you down past the kitchen into the intimate basement dining room, where dusty-pink banquettes line walls decorated with antique paintings. Start with a round of cocktails. A boozy hanky panky is a more delicate and floral twist on the negroni, while the restaurant’s signature Bad Kitty has a subtle sparkle and a syrupy sloe gin edge. Order all the bite-sized snacks. A smoky stack of Welsh rarebit is finished on the open grill to make Montgomery’s cheddar cheese extra golden; crisp ham hock and jowl croquettes melt in the mouth; and a silky-smooth splodge of chicken liver parfait comes with pieces of quince on a seeded cracker. Mains are cooked on a wood-fired grill so take 20-25 minutes to arrive, but it’s worth the wait. Pork presa is soft and pink with charred edges, accompanied by a pig-cheek sausage, candied heritage carrots and plums, while meaty monkfish comes on a rich bed of aubergines and tomatoes. Get involved with the sides, too – crunchy layers of deep-fried pressed potatoes or wood-fired Hispi cabbage lifted with mustard seeds, described correctly by the owner as “buttery wonderfulness”. For pudding, try the hazelnut and chocolate ganache with brown butter ice cream, covered in a dome of fluffy hazelnut mousse and dusted in cocoa powder. olive tip: If you want a more affordable romantic evening, pop in for a glass of wine and a couple of snacks to enjoy perched at the table in the window, perfect people-watching opportunities for first dates. kittyfishers.com Brutto, Farringdon — for Tuscan-Florentine dishes for sharing Refreshingly, this Tuscan-Florentine restaurant isn't one that values style over substance. Opened by the late restaurateur legend Russell Norman, the relaxed, no-frills interior is reminiscent of more old-school Italian establishments, with red gingham tablecloths, walls lined with framed pictures and a wine menu that's modestly stapled together, emphasising good Tuscan bottles. The menu is particularly good for sharing, with four small pasta plates that include a delicate rabbit pappardelle, and tagliatelle with a nostalgically rich, meaty ragu-style sauce. Start with the deep-fried dough ball 'cuddles' antipasti, paired well with thin slices of salty prosciutto and creamy stracchino. The mains, or secondi, are quite beef-focused, with a blackboard of perfectly cooked T-bone steaks to be ordered per 100g, and a hearty Tuscan beef shin stew. Alternatively, you can try the juicy pork and fennel sausages with lentils and a big dollop of dijon mustard. Leave room for a slice of the light, layered apple tart, or the 'ugly but good' cookies — these crisp hazelnut meringues originate from Tuscany, served here with smooth vanilla ice cream. Despite 'brutto' translating to 'ugly' in Italian, the food here is far from it. It's simple, but it proves that good food doesn't have to be stylish. msha.ke/brutto Ekstedt, Great Scotland Yard – for a romantic 7-course tasting menu Niklas Ekstedt’s tasting menus (five or seven courses) team British produce with traditional Scandinavian ingredients for a memorable experience. Current dishes include charcoal grilled wild sea bass, hay smoked pork loin and sea buckthorn sorbet for dessert. A wood-fired oven and open flame give dishes a delicious smokiness and create both warmth and theatre. ekstedtattheyard.com 144 on the Hill, Richmond Hill – for a cosy alpine-like experience 144 on the Hill is an imposing Georgian Hotel just a stone’s throw from Richmond Park. While the interiors are opulent, the atmosphere is warm and relaxed. An outdoor terrace has been transformed with thick blankets, fairly lights and outdoor heaters to make for a cosy, alpine-like experience. The fondue menu is £90 for two people and includes a warming glass of mulled wine to get you started. The artisan cheese fondue is incredibly generous and almost impossible to stop eating. It comes served with Parisian potato salad, steamed broccoli, a charcuterie board and bread. It’s easy to while away a few hours as the menu is so plentiful and the setting so comfortable. If you’re feeling up to it, you can finish with a rich Belgian chocolate fondue served with strawberries and marshmallows. Imagine the snow and you can pretend you’re just back from a day on the slopes. 144onthehill.co.uk/winter-wonderlounge Manthan, Mayfair — for quality Indian street food in a romantic setting With a pedigree like chef Rohit Ghai's, expectations of the food at his Mayfair restaurant are high — and it doesn't disappoint. Rohit led the kitchens at Gymkhana and Trishna before opening his first venue, Kutir, in Chelsea. At Manthan — the Hindi word meaning to churn and reflect — Rohit takes inspiration from his mother's cooking and the street food of India. The Maddox Street dining room is long and wood-panelled, adorned with beautiful paintings of exotic flowers. Even at lunchtime it feels romantic, and the sharing dishes reflect that vibe. If you're here for the first time, have an overview experience and choose two dishes from the Gali ka khana (street food) section, one from Rassedar (curries), one from Chapata Chops & Tikka, plus a couple of sides. To start, ghati masala prawns are plump and tender, coated with sesame, peanut and coconut for a satisfying crispy crunch. Jackfruit tacos are a revelation — almost meaty in texture, stuffed into fluffy rice lentil pancakes with southern spice and chutney. Fall-off-the-bone lamb ossobuco sits in a silky, satirsfying sauce flavoured with jaffa spices and curry leaf, while sarson chicken, tangy and hot with mustard and chilli, is as soft as butter. If you have room for dessert, opt for the Classic Trip of sweet laddoo, sticky gulab jamun and creamy srikhand. manthanmayfair.co.uk Trullo, Higbury – for a romantic Italian restaurant Older sister to Borough Market’s Padella, Trullo serves perfect pasta, antipasti and larger charcoal grill dishes in a romantic yet relaxed environment. Upstairs, wooden tables – simply laid with white paper tablecloths and flickering tea lights – are huddled together, while downstairs, dark booths are perfect for a longer, more intimate dinner. The menu changes twice daily, depending on seasonal produce, but if there’s two of you we’d recommend a couple of antipasti, a couple of plates of pasta and one larger oven dish. Rich beef shin ragu coats slippery ribbons of pappardelle, while sweet squash ravioli gets a richness from the olive oil. Meat and fish are simply cooked over coals, served with the likes of soft polenta and salsa verde or baby beetroot. As with the food, wines change regularly but there are always a few available by the glass. The natural Puglia Miro is bursting with ripe cherries, or sip on a punchy coffee negroni as a nightcap. olive tip: Impress your date with the promise of Padella's famous pasta dishes without the long wait. If it’s on the menu, order Padella’s iconic pici cacio e pepe for a cheesy hit. trullorestaurant.com Fenchurch restaurant at Sky Garden, The City – for a romantic dinner with a view If you’re on the right side of the room, there’s no view finer than that from Fenchurch. It’s the highest – and most expensive – restaurant at Sky Garden, the three-storey high oasis at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street (better known as the walkie-talkie building). Wherever you’re sat, a meal here is a luxurious experience. Staff are experts; our crumpled napkins were twice replaced with ninja-like stealth, and at night the room transforms into a glamorous, flatteringly-lit space designed to make everyone feel like a million dollars. We were here for the tasting menu, and began in style with a well-made old fashioned and a signature gin and St Germain cocktail. The latter was a little too sweet, but the giant spherical ice cube it came with was transfixing. skygarden.london/restaurants/fenchurch/ olive tip: Make sure you ask for a table ‘on the view side’, and ideally one that’s away from the private dining room, rammed as it sometimes is with rowdy business-types. Gold, Notting Hill – for a secret indoor terrace Gold is a buzzing restaurant and late-night bar on London’s Portobello Road which puts cooking over coals at its heart. Split into raw, charcuterie and cheese, salads, vegetables and plates, all the dishes are designed to share. Portions are hearty though, so start off steady and see how things go. Charred pears with burrata welcome the salty tang of Tuscan ham, while a bouncy farro salad with sweet peas, broad beans and Berkswell cheese steals the show with its fresh flavours. Indulge in desserts – honey rum babas arrive as boozy as they should be, with plenty of lemon verbena cream, while buttery sable biscuits layered with raspberry and mascarpone are lifted further with the crunch of praline. goldnottinghill.com olive tip: You can dine in two rooms, but head to the covered terrace on the ground floor for romantic Moroccan rooftop vibes. Lyon's Seafood and Wine Bar, Crouch End – for a romantic seafood dinner The vibe at this neighbourhood spot is unfussy yet classily comfortable, with muted green banquettes, wooden floors and a white marble bar, while pretty traces of the room’s original cream and green Victorian tiling can be spotted on the walls. Seafood fans will love the kitchen’s offbeat and creative approach to ingredients. Oysters – sourced from Wright Brothers – come with garnishes designed to complement each variety: we try Carlingfords delicately matched with a melon and cucumber salsa. Toasted, treacly rye bread comes piled with fat, sweet, pickled mussels and a delicate curry-tinged sauce, while a classic caesar salad gets a successful maritime twist thanks to smoked sardines. The wine list focusses on sustainable, organic and low-intervention bottles, and there’s also a pithy cocktail list – a super-dry, briny martini made with seaweed-infused Irish An Dúlamán gin and manzanilla sherry is the perfect start to a seafood feast. lyons-restaurant.com olive tip: Finish the evening with a night cap at another excellent neighbourhood outfit in Crouch End, Little Mercies. Stripped-back cocktails include the likes of strawberry negronis made with homemade vermouth and silky caramelised white chocolate old fashioneds. littlemercies.co.uk Champagne + Fromage, Brixton – for an affordable first date Champagne + Fromage does exactly what it says on the tin. It brings an authentic taste of the best that France has to offer to three shops/restaurants in London. The menu is made up of cheese and charcuterie boards, baked cheeses, salads, tartines, and a small selection of desserts. Everything is designed for sharing. This isn’t a typical sit-down meal; it’s more a place to go if you want to linger over a few glasses of champagne and lighter bites, making it ideal for a first date. There are over 50 different cheeses on offer, which could be daunting. But the staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and forthcoming in their suggestions. The charcuterie is all high quality so you can’t go wrong - the blueberry saucisson (although it sounds strange) was particularly good... champagneplusfromage.co.uk olive tip: You’re encouraged to go to the counter to taste and build your board, so go and chat to the staff with your date for an interactive ice-breaker to start the evening. Bob Bob Ricard, Soho – for a blow-out romantic dinner This Russian-inspired restaurant in Soho that exudes luxury, with ornate interiors loosely based on the Orient Express (train-carriage style booths, brass rails and coat racks) and slick service. It’s all about excess, with hearty portions, theatrical presentation and copious amounts of fizz. Start things off with a round of oysters baked with parmesan and black truffle, or stunning beetroot and goat’s cheese gateau. Order the beef wellington to impress, presented as a latticed pastry sphere before being taken away and carved into thick slices. Perfectly pink 28-day aged Scotch beef fillet comes wrapped in a layer of finely chopped porcini mushrooms and a thin pancake to soak up the juices with a golden crisp pastry case. ‘Chocolate Glory’ is an instagram-worthy dessert. Hot chocolate sauce is poured over a gold sphere that opens up to reveal a soft chocolate Jivara mousse with brownie pieces, zingy berries and passion fruit and orange jelly. If you’re too full for all that chocolate, order the zesty trio of lime, lemon and pink grapefruit sorbets served with Platinum vodka. olive tip: Book a private booth for an intimate dinner, complete with iconic ‘press for Champagne’ buttons for a fizz-filled date. bobbobricard.com Sager + Wilde, Hackney – for drinks with nibbles Sager + Wilde’s original Hackney Road bar is a romantic, candle-lit neighbourhood spot to enjoy unusual wines with your date. Huddle around a table on little stools and wooden benches, or sit up at the industrial iron grate bar to get a closer look at the rare bottles displayed in the rack along the back wall. The small but thoughtful wine menu covers lesser-known regions such as Austria, unusual orange wines and twists on classics procured by owners Charlotte and Michael Sager-Wilde. Golden jalapeño and cheddar toasties are served on E5 Bakehouse sourdough and round off the evening perfectly. sagerandwilde.com/hackney-road olive tip: For a super-cheap date option, head to Sager + Wilde's Paradise Row restaurant on Monday-Saturday between 5pm and 7pm for the bargain £10 plate of pasta and negroni or glass of wine deal. Check out more London restaurant guides here: Best restaurants in Marylebone Best restaurants in Mayfair Best restaurants in Fitzrovia Best restaurants near Oxford Street Best restaurants in Brixton Best restaurants in Notting Hill Best restaurants in Shoreditch Best restaurants in Camden Best restaurants in Covent Garden Best restaurants in Soho Best restaurants in London Bridge Best restaurants in Hackney Best restaurants in Paddington
Best festive afternoon teas in London 2025
Looking for a festive treat? We’ve found the best spots to take friends and family over the Christmas season, from traditional afternoon tea at The Ritz to afternoon tea with a view from The Shard
Treat loved ones and dine in style over the Christmas season with one of these festive afternoon teas for a Christmas treat. Classic afternoon tea menus of sandwiches, scones and perfect patisserie get a festive makeover at this time of year, from turkey sandwiches and cranberry jam to go with scones, to carefully crafted yule logs, Christmas trees made of cake, savoury mince pies and many more magical discoveries. You're sure to leave full and with a wonderful new Christmas tradition to return to year after year. If you're not after a Christmas theme, check out the best afternoon teas in London and the best across the UK, too. Best festive afternoon teas in London 2025 Corinthia London, Whitehall Corinthia London will be serving its festive afternoon tea in The Crystal Moon Lounge with a selection of festive treats from 14 November-4 January 2026. Relax in the stylish lobby under the glistening chandelier and listen to grand piano playing in the background while you feast on elevated turkey or honey roasted ham sandwiches, followed by scones with both strawberry and blackcurrant jams. Finish with the patisserie, including a black forest bûche de Noël, gingerbread and mandarin cake and pear and Tahitian vanilla choux, to name just a few of the many treats on this classically luxurious menu. Price: Festive afternoon tea from £95pp Mon-Thurs, £105 Fri-Sun, caviar afternoon tea from £150pp. Address: Whitehall Place, Westminster, London SW1A 2BD Book festive afternoon tea at Corinthia London here. The Ritz, Piccadilly The Ritz will be serving its traditional afternoon tea with a fun festive twist from 15 November-3 January 2026, with five sittings per day. Take in the luxurious surroundings while you feast on six different sandwiches (think classic cheddar and chutney, ham and mustard mayonnaise, traditional smoked salmon sandwiches and more), Christmas-inspired British pastries; and choose from over 20 different teas including a bespoke Ritz Christmas spiced tea. Price: £120pp; £79 per child (up to 15 years old), except for Christmas Day which is priced at £135 per adult and £90 per child Address: 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR Book the Ritz Christmas afternoon tea here. Festive afternoon tea by Lily Vanilli, Four Seasons Tower Bridge For a modern take on a a festive afternoon tea, head to Lily Vanilli at the Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge. The Christmas treat is served in the grand setting of the Rotunda Bar, complete with towering Christmas tree at the centre. There's no finger sandwiches here. Instead, the tea kicks off with a range of unique savouries including parmesan gougères, confit potatoes topped with smoked salmon and roe, and gildas with fiery pickled chilli. Even mince pies get a savoury twist, with buttery pastry holding a hearty cheese, cabbage and potato filling. Classic scones are served with clotted cream and blackberry compote. Make sure you save room for the sweet course, which includes mini lemon meringue tarts, and sticky toffee madeleines served with a generous cup of toffee sauce. The highlight is a grand mini chocolate salted caramel cake served on it's very own cake stand, adorned with gold baubles and decorated in Lily Vanilli’s signature style with rich, buttery icing. If you can’t slice into it there and then, the team will box it up for you to take home and savour later. Price: £65 per person Address: Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge, 10 Trinity Square, London, EC3N 4AJ Book the Four Seasons Tower Bridge tea here. oblix at The Shard Nothing starts off a festive afternoon tea like walking through a corridor lined floor to ceiling with sparkling fairy lights. Oblix, on the 32nd floor of The Shard, more than delivers that Christmas feeling. If you can tear your eyes away from panoramic views of London including Tower Bridge, the City and the Walkie Talkie building, then the Oblix tea has been given a Christmas makeover until the 4th January. Start with a plate of sandwiches including coronation chicken, egg mayo with generous amounts of truffle and classic smoked salmon. Cranberry scones are served with raspberry and orange preserve and clotted cream, whilst patisserie includes a Christmas tree carrot cake, festive chocolate bauble and snowflake mont blanc. Price: from £69pp Address: oblix East, Level 32, The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY Book the oblix festive afternoon tea here. The Savoy, The Strand The festive afternoon tea at The Savoy is available now. You can expect classic sandwiches with a Christmas twist, such as oak-smoked cheddar with plum and ginger chutney, coronation turkey on cranberry bread, and a savoury parsnip and carrot cake. Traditional freshly baked plain and raisin scones come with strawberry jam, lemon curd and clotted cream to accompany festive spiced teas. To finish, enjoy a cluster of seasonal cakes and pastries such as the chocolate and orange log, fruit cake bauble and pistachio and redcurrant tree. Price: Afternoon tea starts at £95pp and £115 with a glass of Nyetimber. Address: Strand, London WC2R 0EZ Book The Savoy afternoon tea here. TĪNG Shangri-La, The Shard TĪNG at the Shangri-La is serving a 'Season of Wonders' afternoon tea until 6 January 2026. The first thing you'll notice are the striking views of London from the heights of The Shard. The stunning scenery makes this trip worth it alone. Then choose from the extensive list of signature teas or add a festive cocktail, mocktail or glass of champagne. The finger sandwiches include coronation chicken, roast beef and truffle egg mayo, while extra savouries include a smoked duck bun with blackberry vinaigrette. Warm scones are served with clotted cream and cranberry jam for full on festivities. Finish with pastries including a 'Festive bauble-choux' and 'Charmed snowy tree'. A vegetarian tea is also available. Price: £89pp, £99 with a glass of champagne. Address: 31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9QU Book the TĪNG festive afternoon tea here. Fortnum & Mason, The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Piccadilly Fortnum & Mason serves its seasonal afternoon tea in The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. For the Christmas tea, you can expect classic sandwiches with a festive twist such as Christmas spiced ham, alongside familiar cucumber or egg mayo. Still-warm scones are served with Somerset clotted cream, strawberry and champagne preserve and orange curd, while cakes and patisserie highlights include a mince tart, mandarin mousse and sticky figgy loaf. Price: £84pp for traditional or vegetarian afternoon tea with a pot of Fortnum’s Tea Address: 181 Piccadilly, St James's, London W1A 1ER. Book the Fortnum & Mason afternoon tea here. The Carlton Tower Jumeirah, Knightsbridge This festive afternoon tea served at The Carlton Tower Jumeirah until 11 January 2026 is inspired by Cadogan Gardens. It's perfect for a spot of indulgence after a shopping trip. Cosy up in their dedicated tearoom, complete with a warming fire and pastry counter. Start with a selection of sandwiches and savouries including a truffle beignet, lobster tartelette and Norfolk turkey sandwich. Expect the unexpected with the 'Scones Experience', with four different flavours of scones to enjoy. After a quince lollipop palate cleanser, the pastries to finish include a pear tart, chocolate pecan tree and apple bread pudding. The tea is accompanied by a selection of JING teas, chosen for flavour and wellness benefits. £1 from every tea is donated to The Felix Project. Price: from £85pp Address: The Carlton Tower Jumeirah, 1 Cadogan Pl, London SW1X 9PY Book festive afternoon tea at The Carlton tower here. Related reviews and recipes Best afternoon teas in London Best afternoon teas in the UK Best afternoon tea recipes
Keep fuelled through the day with our list of high-energy foods and recipes, from healthy banana pancakes, to avocado mousse and chicken tagine
Feeling low on energy? Get inspired to fuel your day the healthy way with our top picks of energy-boosting foods, with delicious recipes to spark your creativity. You can also check our our lists of high-fibre foods, gut-healthy recipes and high-calorie foods to try. Get your day off to a great start with our five tips for your morning routine and then wind down in the evening with our mindful evening routine tips. What is a high-energy food? The type and quantity of food you consume throughout the day has a big impact on how energetic (or tired) you will feel. While all foods will give you energy through calories, certain foods, such as those we've listed below, offer nutrients such as B vitamins, healthy carbohydrates, energising fats and satisfying proteins to help you stay alert and focussed throughout your day. 20 high-energy foods to fuel your day 1. Bananas These healthy pancakes are dairy- and gluten-free, as well as being low in calories. Made with just three ingredients, they are super-quick to whip up, and the peanut butter makes them sturdy, so they’re easy to flip. A great way to use up overripe bananas, our classic banana loaf requires just six ingredients and is perfect for a teatime treat or breakfast snack. 2. Brown rice Try this healthy hoisin-glazed tofu with stir-fried brown rice. It's a really simple vegan dish that's perfect for lunch or dinner. It offers protein-rich tofu and plenty of green vegetables, too. Or try this low-calorie soup, combining chorizo, broccoli and brown rice to create a warm and hearty meal. It is easy to make and suitable for freezing if you want to make a big batch for later. 3. Oily fish Traybakes are the midweek saviour. This vibrant curried salmon dish is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants – great for maintaining a healthy mind and skin. Serve as is, or add a nutritious grain like brown rice or spelt when you're extra-hungry. This nourishing sumac-frilled salmon recipe packs in 10 different plant foods thanks to a vibrant, no-cook fattoush made with beetroot, cucumber, feta and plenty of fresh herbs. Not a salmon person? Check out more healthy fish recipes. 4. Sweet potato Pack more of this versatile and filling veg into mealtimes with this sweet potato and lentil curry. A vibrant low-calorie vegan dinner idea, it's made with coconut milk and plenty of spices. This sweet potato and quinoa chilli makes a great veggie alternative to the traditional chilli. It's under 500 calories and is packed with flavour, so you won't miss the meat. 5. Eggs Jazz your omelette up with plenty of grated courgettes, kale, peas and chilli flakes, then serve alongside cherry tomatoes dressed simply with white wine vinegar. Next, try one of these quick and easy one-pan egg recipes, from punchy chilli eggs to cheesy mushroom and brie omelette. 6. Coffee Making great coffee doesn’t require expensive kit or masses of specialist knowledge, but a little advice will ensure you brew a flavourful, aromatic cup every time. Learn how to make the perfect brew at home with our simple guide. 7. Apples Rethink apples by incorporating them into savoury dishes at mealtimes. Try this spelt and apple salad with crispy nuts and seeds, for instance, as a light lunch or starter, or try this hearty smoked mackerel salad with crunchy apple and beetroot for an easy midweek meal. 8. Oats Get more oats into your diet by starting your day with our berry and nut butter porridge. It's also packed with fruit and nuts, making it a hearty and healthy breakfast that's great after a workout. This healthy, no-fuss recipe for overnight oats can be prepped just five minutes the night before, ready for you in the morning. Customise with your choice of fruit, nuts, seeds and other toppings. 9. Quinoa This vibrant, crunchy Mediterranean-inspired salad is packed with protein-rich quinoa, roasted almonds, fresh herbs and a quick oregano and lemon dressing. Alternatively, try our lightly spiced quinoa and chicken tagine. This one-pot recipe is easy to make and low in calories, for a healthy family meal. 10. Dark chocolate Replacing cream and egg whites with avocado makes this chocolate mousse recipe naturally light and creamy without the extra sugar! Top with chopped hazelnuts for texture, or cocoa nibs for a little indulgence. 11. Yogurt Peanut butter is a breakfast staple, and, as this fruity, tangy, crunchy creation proves, its potential goes far beyond simply topping toast. Try this peanut butter and jelly breakfast parfait to start your day. 12. Hummus This velvety chickpea dip makes a great addition to any sharing feast. Plus, making your own hummus is easier than you'd think. Serve your homemade hummus with veg, focaccia or savoury biscuits to create this effortless entertaining platter. 13. Lentils This wholesome spiced squash, spinach and lentil soup not only packs in 18g of plant protein per serving, but it also provides a great source of vitamin A from the butternut squash, and iron from the spinach. Simply leave out the yogurt garnish (or try topping with a dollop of coconut yogurt) to make this vegan. Or try this comforting dhal recipe with fried okra for a punchy veggie dish. 14. Avocado Avocados make salad dressings and ice creams super-creamy, so use them in an innovative way in our avocado fusilli pasta. It’s a great way of using up overly ripe avocados, which give the pasta sauce a lovely, silky texture. A chunky texture and fresh chillies are the key to the perfect guacamole dip. Follow our easy recipe to make your own in just 15 minutes. 15. Green veggies This nutrient-rich brassica is a great source of fibre. Put it to work in our recipe for broccoli and peanut soba noodles – it's really easy to make, and ready in 20 minutes or less. The fresh greens are a great combination with the noodles, while the roasted peanuts add a crunchy texture. Match purple sprouting broccoli with a blue cheese and garlic dressing in this healthy broccoli and blue cheese salad – sprinkle with toasted almonds for added crunch. 16. Nuts This asparagus, saffron and almond pilaf is a lovely spring dish. Asparagus is officially in season at the end of April, but might be in the shops a bit earlier, depending on the weather. For a satisfying savoury dish, try roasted cabbage steaks with hazelnut dressing. Or add the crunch of walnuts to this delicious dish of charred onions with balsamic and ricotta. 17. Seeds Pumpkin seed butter makes the perfect vegan toast topper for breakfast. Serve with apple and chia seeds for an energy-boosting brekkie. Add date syrup for sweetness, or leave out for savoury toast toppings. 18. Beans Tuck into a comforting bowl of butter bean orzo with the fresh, punchy flavours of harissa and red pepper. Or make comforting beans on toast a bit fancier with our vegetarian low-calorie recipe for two. The best bit? It only takes 20 minutes to make. 19. Beetroot Feel refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to go with this vibrant juice recipe, made with just three ingredients. Or, make this vibrant beetroot, freekeh and spring onion salad. Packed texture, it makes for an impressive starter or side dish and is really simple to put together. 20. Edamame Our 30-minute aubergine teriyaki bowl is packed with fresh flavours of crunchy radishes, fiery ginger and zesty lime, topped off with a handful of frozen edamame beans to make it extra-filling. Or check out this easy, warm salad recipe with black rice, crunchy edamame and juicy prawns. This punchy salad is an easy midweek meal for two, plus it's low in calories. Tracey Raye was the health editor for olive and BBC Good Food. Tracey, MSc, is a registered nutritionist, holding a master’s degree in Personalised Nutrition. She is passionate about harnessing the power of all things health and well-being – in a way that enhances, rather than limits our lives. She covers our nourishing recipes and collections, oversees our health strategy and stays adrift of the latest health and lifestyle trends in order to bring you the tools and inspiration you need to find what health means for you.
Impress guests over the festive season with our best Christmas baking ideas, from classic mince pies, stollen and Christmas fruit cake to decorated cookies
Looking for the best indulgent Christmas baking recipes? We've got everything from Christmas cookies to classic mince pies, Baileys chocolate tiffin to Christmas cupcakes, plus a crowd-pleasing white chocolate Christmas cake to treat yourself and loved ones during the festive season. We've also got plenty more indulgent Christmas pudding and dessert recipes to serve to your family and friends during the holidays. For quick and easy festive entertaining, check out our no-cook Christmas entertaining ideas, or for fun bakes which mash up festive flavours, check out our Christmas mash-up recipes. Get the big day off to a delicious start with our Christmas breakfast ideas and if you're looking for last-minute present ideas for the foodie in your life, our homemade edible Christmas gifts are sure to bring a smile to their face. Best Christmas baking ideas Bûche de Noël Serve this bûche de noël for a Christmas dessert showpiece. This festive log features layers of chocolate sponge, chantilly cream and chocolate buttercream. Cinnamon biscuits These crisp iced biscuits are flavoured with warming cinnamon and ginger spices. They are sure to fill your kitchen with enticing festive aromas. Buttermint madeleines Edd Kimber reimagines the nostalgic flavour of Murray Mints in these festive madeleines, made with browned butter and finished with a smooth white chocolate shell – perfect for afternoon tea. Classic mince pies It's just not Christmas without a mince pie. Making your own shortcrust pastry is easy, and investing in decent shop-bought mincemeat makes all the difference. Make-ahead Christmas cake Get ahead for Christmas by baking this classic festive fruit cake, covered in marzipan and fondant icing. With gentle spices, citrus flavours and ginger wine, this easy bake is full of flavour and sure to impress a crowd. Classic stollen This gently spiced, festive bake is bursting with dried fruit and marzipan. A great homemade gift or afternoon pick-me-up. Baileys cake A real showstopper of a cake, this three-tiered beauty is all dark chocolate and Baileys Irish Cream. It's perfect for an impressive Christmas dessert. Vegan gingerbread men Enjoy some festive nostalgia with a batch of vegan gingerbread men. They're easy to bake and fun to decorate. Stollen bites Make these pretty stollen bites for a fun Christmas baking project – you can use any mixed dried fruit, such as cranberries, sour cherries or apricots. Gingerbread cupcakes These moreish spiced cupcakes are great fun to make over the festive season for the whole family. Vegan Christmas cake Everyone will enjoy a slice of this Christmas cake, which can be baked and matured up to eight weeks before Christmas. Feed the cake weekly with your choice of brandy, rum or whisky for extra moisture and a warming flavour. Stollen buns The marzipan and dried fruit in stollen are quintessential Christmas flavours, reworked here into a snowball-like bun by London's Fortitude Bakehouse. Gluten-free chocolate fudge cake Turn your hand to baking this festive chocolate fudge cake this Christmas, which just happens to be gluten free. Cozonac Bake this sweet Christmas bread from Prestige Patisserie in Tottenham this Christmas. It’s studded with raisins, nuts, chocolate and Turkish delight and infused with rum. Pistachio and cherry nougat pandoro Cut corners by assembling this impressive festive centrepiece with shop-bought pandoro – it’s a bake which will get everyone in the festive spirit. Gingerbread pie Bake this glorious gingerbread pie, showcasing a blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, for a Christmas bake that’s designed to impress. Chocolate panettone We've given this sweet Italian bread a decadent twist with dark chocolate – the perfect treat to serve visitors over the festive season. Tiramis-czhoux tower You can guarantee friends and family haven’t come across this hybrid before, where balls of choux pastry are stuffed with coffee-drenched ladyfingers and boozy pastry cream. Christmas lamingtons Give lamingtons a festive makeover in this recipe from Morny Bakehouse, with white chocolate icing, a cherry yuzu jam centre and a buttercream crown. Christmas pavlova Individual pavlovas are filled with caramelised pineapple, topped with vanilla-infused cream and finished with a passionfruit coulis. This is a truly showstopping dessert by Covent Garden restaurant, Ave Mario. Christmas tart Fill a shop-bought tart case with brandy-soaked dried fruit and two types of almond for an effortless festive dessert, best eaten with brandy butter. Pandoro semifreddo This easy yet standout pandoro recipe is sure to bring the wow factor to any Christmas table. The chocolate and amaretto semifreddo is all encased in an Italian pandoro bread and topped with a crown of crunchy pistachios. Ecclefechan tarts A must-try alternative to festive mince pies, flavoured with very strong tea, grape molasses and brown butter. Christmas crumble Expand your Christmas repertoire with this festive take on your fave pud. Use up left-over mincemeat – jarred or homemade – for extra flavour. Lebkuchen Honey-sweetened German treats spiced with cinnamon and ginger, lebkuchen are famously festive biscuits. Bake a batch this winter to really get into the Christmas market spirit. Vegan raspberry and lemon trifle Impress your guests with this classic layered dessert. The easy homemade custard uses vanilla-flavoured soya milk and gives a traditional flavour and colour to the custard. Caribbean rum cake This decadent and boozy cake from Caribbean chef Keshia Sakarah is fed with spiced rum and traditionally served during the festive season. Panforte This Italian dessert is popular during the festive season. Chewy, nutty and sweet, it's packed with pistachios, almonds and dried fruits. Florentines A great little Christmas treat to bake at home. Hang them from ribbons as an edible Christmas tree decoration or stack them on a plate and enjoy with a comforting cup of tea over the festive season. Christmas fudge Check out this festive gingerbread fudge that takes just a few minutes to prepare. You can easily double the recipe to make two batches, so you have plenty for gifting. Christmas biscuits Looking for a foodie festive activity to do with children? Our spiced Christmas biscuits make perfect edible decorations to hang from your tree or mantle. You can leave them out for Santa or wrap them up as a gift, the possibilities are endless! Rum and raisin cake Stir up this make-ahead Christmas cake with a spiced, boozy twist and your kitchen will be filled with alluring, festive smells. Chocolate yule log Need a show-stopping dessert recipe to impress guests over the Christmas period? Check out our indulgent festive yule log with a boozy Baileys cream and crunchy hazelnut brittle, the perfect festive bake. Baileys chocolate tiffin Looking for an easy edible gift to give friends over the festive season? Check out these indulgent chocolate tiffins with our favourite Christmas drink in solid chocolate form. You don’t have to include the edible glitter but it does give added bling. Check out our other Baileys recipes here. Christmas cupcakes Looking for Christmas treats to bake? Soak up the cuteness of our melted chocolate snowmen cupcakes. These easy-to-make cupcakes are great fun to bake with the whole family and make for quick and easy Christmas party food. Street cart soft pretzels Soft yet slightly chewy, with a dark golden skin from being boiled before baking, these pretzels are slow-fermented for a richly flavoured dough. Finish with fat crystals of salt. Indonesian pandan, raspberry and white chocolate blondies Pandan and raspberries give a colourful and festive edge to these blondies, while the tartness offsets the sweet white chocolate perfectly. White snowball cake Need a show-stopping cake to serve family and friends over the festive season? Check out our indulgent white chocolate Christmas cake recipe. It might not be snowing outside, but one bite of this cake and you'll feel like you're in a winter wonderland. Filled with coconut and covered in white chocolate, it's sweet and indulgent. Sour cherry stollen bars Looking for Christmas treats to bake? Jazz up your stollen this Christmas with our easy sour cherry flavoured bars. The ingredients list may look lengthy but it’s all about building up the textures and flavours to make this the most moreish bar ever – way better than regular stollen. Check out our best cherry recipes here. Snowball madeleines Give the English madeleine a festive spin by infusing with the flavours of a classic snowball cocktail. After Eight cake This showstopping cake is a glorious combination of chocolate and mint that makes an excellent dessert for a festive party. White chocolate cranberry cheesecake blondies Make your blondies extra special with a festive sprinkling of cranberry flavour and a swirl of decadent cheesecake filling. White Christmas cake Want a show-stopping easy Christmas bake? Check out our super light vanilla cake, an easy alternative to serve on Christmas Day in place of a normal fruit cake. In order to keep the colour as white as possible, use a very light-coloured butter such as Lurpak or keep beating the butter until it lightens in colour. Looking for other show-stopping cake recipes? Click here. Mexican chocoflan This festive flan cake, featuring chocolate, caramel and cinnamon, is known as 'flan imposible' and combines two popular Mexican desserts. Black cake Make this classic Caribbean as a Christmas cake alternative – featuring port, dark rum and dried fruits, it's rich and decadent (and amazing at Christmas). Black forest gateau Turn the clock back with our nostalgic black forest cake with a modern twist. Christmas rocky road Traditional digestives are swapped for ginger biscuits, whilst cranberries and pistachios add some festive colour in this crowd-pleasing Christmas rocky road. Whisky crumble mince pies We've added a splash of booze and morello cherries to this classic Christmas treat and topped with buttery crumble for extra indulgence. Moldavian layered pie with hemp cream Traditionally made on Christmas Eve in Eastern Romania, this pie sees layers of flatbread soaked in a honey syrup and spread with a hemp seed filling. Rum and almond fruit cake Want an easy fruit cake with no fuss? Impress your guests this Christmas and jazz up your cake with rum and a simple almond buttercream. Make it now or save the recipe to whip up an easy Christmas baking idea. Nepali spiced fruit and nut tart Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger give this nutty tart a real festive edge. With a kick of spiced rum, it's a grown-up dessert that's perfect for Christmas. Baileys truffles Treat someone special this Christmas with these melt-in-the-mouth chocolate truffles with a boozy kick from Baileys cream. Gluten-free mince pies Christmas baking, gluten-free style. These boozy mince pies with meringue tops don't compromise on flavour or texture, plus they look impressive, too. Boozy mincemeat pie Want a boozy pie to feed a crowd over the festive season? Our elegant recipe turns the humble mince pie into a fantastic Christmas dessert. Use shop-bought shortcrust pastry and a good-quality mincemeat to save time. Finish with a dusting of silvery icing sugar. Click here for other exciting sweet pie recipes... Chocolate-dipped honeycomb Looking for easy edible gifts for Christmas treats to bake at home? Ready in 20 minutes, our quick and super fun honeycomb recipe is dipped in dark, milk and white chocolate, the perfect Christmas treat for someone with a sweet tooth. Try one of our other edible gift ideas here... Russian honey cake Check out our impressive Russian cake recipe with moreish burnt-honey icing. This layer cake takes a bit of effort to make but it's the perfect cake to show off to friends and family for any special occasion over the festive season. This Russian honey cake recipe is created by original GBBO winner and expert baker Edd Kimber. Baileys fudge Homemade fudge is a great little sweet treat for Christmas. Perfect with coffee to finish off a meal or as an energy booster, it keeps for up to a month in an airtight container. Plus we've got an easy how-to video and it only requires 4 ingredients, the perfect festive bake. Spiced rum bamkuchen Present this show-stopping dessert on Christmas Day for an impressive festive bake, packed with golden marzipan and dark rum. Slice it open to reveal the many layers which will wow your guests. It might take a bit of time to prepare, but it's worth the effort! Try more of our boozy cake and bakes here. Clementine yoghurt cake Move over Christmas fruit cake, our gluten free festive clementine cake is in town and it's zesty and super moist. Slice it up and watch everyone come running for a piece of this fruity and sweet, yogurty deliciousness. Mini Viennese mince pies How do you make mini mince pies taste even better? Add even more buttery goodness with a Viennese swirl biscuit topping, zesty oranges and boozy amaretto of course! Cranberry and ginger tiffin Make this simple, indulgent tiffin to treat someone you love this Christmas. You can swap the white chocolate for dark or milk – go for the recipient’s favourite. The cranberry and ginger flavours really lift the buttery biscuit. Ready in only 30 minutes. Gingerbread Advent cookies Looking for fun Christmas baking ideas? Make your own edible Advent calendar with our quick and easy gingerbread cookie recipe. The kids can eat them one day at a time or all at once! We have more biscuit recipes here. White chocolate roulade with Baileys Treat your loved ones to a great dessert with this luxurious festive bake made with white chocolate and Baileys. It's easy to make and requires very little effort – prepare it next time you host a festive dinner party. Chocolate, hazelnut and cinnamon kugelhupf Kugelhupf is a light Christmas cake similar to brioche or baba and is popular in central Europe. This version is made with chocolate, hazelnut and cinnamon, a great alternative to the traditional British Christmas cake recipe. Plus, it's easy to make, too. Christmas muffins These tangerine and marzipan muffins are easy to make and ready in under an hour – serve with an afternoon cup of tea or for an indulgent festive breakfast treat.
Try our favourite Christmas sides, from classic brussels sprouts to indulgent cauliflower cheese, roasted carrots and parsnips, we've got trimmings covered
Looking for the best Christmas side dishes? From brussels sprouts to red cabbage and roast parsnips, plus winter greens and indulgent gratin recipes, we've covered all bases. We also have plenty of Christmas trimmings ideas, from pigs in blankets to the perfect gravy. Once the sides are sorted, find out how to cook the perfect turkey with our expert guide. If you're going all-out vegetarian this Christmas, try our Christmas vegetarian recipes. Make sure you try our best roast potato recipes for perfectly crispy, golden-brown spuds. After, take a look at our festive entertaining ideas for more inspiration. Explore our christmas breakfast recipes packed with seasonal flavours to get the big day off to a great start. Need last-minute inspiration? For quick and easy festive entertaining, check out our no-cook Christmas entertaining ideas. Jump to: Brussels sprouts recipes Carrot recipes for Christmas Christmas Cabbage recipes Parsnip recipes for Christmas Christmas greens recipes Vegetable gratin recipes Christmas stuffing recipes Roasted root recipes Christmas roast potato recipes Easy Christmas side dish recipes Brussels sprouts recipes The Christmas side dish that everyone loves to hate. We've given some love to this versatile veg in our collection of brussels sprouts recipes. Air fryer Brussels sprouts All you need is an air fryer and a splash of olive oil to get the most out of brussels sprouts. Cacio e pepe sprouts Take your Christmas feast to the next level with these jazzed up salt and pepper sprouts tossed with pecorino cheese. Sticky miso roast sprouts Sprouts will be the favourite side dish this Christmas thanks to our sticky miso roast sprouts recipe. Marmalade-glazed sprouts with chestnuts Give Christmas sprouts an effortless twist with marmalade, chestnuts and thyme. Frying steamed sprouts in butter lends colour and a velvety shine to your veg. 'Nduja-fried sprouts Jazz up your sprouts this Christmas with punchy 'nduja. ’Nduja adds a touch of fiery spice in this easy brussels sprouts recipe, ready in 30 minutes. Caramelised shallots and brussels sprouts Try our gluten free caramelised shallots and brussels sprouts for an easy but moreish side to go with your Christmas dinner. Caramelising the shallots and the sprouts gives this classic side a deeper flavour, and the calvados adds an extra zing. Sprouts with ginger and orange Spruce up your sprouts with warming ginger and zesty orange to make sure everyone will be coming back for more. Soy and sesame sautéed sprouts This Asian soy and sesame twist on brussels sprouts makes a great alternative way to serve this unloved veg for Christmas dinner. Check out more of our Christmas dinner ideas here Carrot recipes for Christmas From citrus-flavoured baby carrots to a Middle Eastern-inspired salad and Gochujang roasted root veg, see our festive carrot ideas below, then check out more carrot recipes. Roasted baby carrots Clementines add a festive touch, and lemon lifts the whole dish in our vegetable side dish recipe. Roasted whole baby carrots look beautiful, and feel that little bit more special than 'carrot coins'. Middle Eastern roast carrot salad with herby carrot top yogurt Impress your friends and family this Christmas with our zesty carrot salad. It's easy to make, and a great way to use up carrot tops as well. Gochujang roasted root veg Carrots come dressed in gochujang, sesame, soy and lime before being roasted until tender and golden. Serve scattered with spring onions and lime wedges to squeeze over. Roast carrots and parsnips A simple side to any roast dinner. These roasted carrots and parsnips are quick to prepare before cooking and will elevate any dish you serve them with. Red cabbage recipes for Christmas Sticky, spiced red cabbage not only brings a touch of flavour to Christmas meats like turkey, but also fill your house with wonderful festive flavours whilst cooking. Discover more of our red cabbage recipes, from slow-cooked dishes to crunchy salads. Red cabbage with redcurrant jelly Adding redcurrant jelly and balsamic vinegar gives this red cabbage a sweet and sour edge. If you want to get ahead, this veggie side can be made up to two days before and reheated on Christmas Day to save time. Braised red cabbage with apples Want an easy vegetable side dish for your Christmas Day feast? John Torode’s braised red cabbage side dish is spruced up with apples, smoked bacon, cinnamon and orange zest, and given a boozy red wine hit for a festive feast. Spiced red cabbage This slow cooked red cabbage and apple dish spiced with cinnamon is fragrant and warming. Just 20 minutes of preparation is required from you to make this veggie side dish, a simple side for your Christmas dinner. Parsnips recipes for Christmas Serve a traybake of crispy parsnips glazed in honey or with one of our special flavour twists like whisky or salt and pepper. Then try more perfect parsnip recipes. Honey roasted parsnips Bring an extra serving of veg to your Christmas dinner with crispy, golden, honey roasted parsnips. Whisky-and-maple-glazed roast parsnips Take your parsnips up a notch with a boozy hit of whisky and the sweetness of maple syrup. Salt and pepper roast parsnips Try our sweet parsnips with a hot, peppery edge for a vegetable side dish. They're super easy to make and require minimum effort. Parmesan-baked parsnips This alternative Christmas side dish recipe sees thin parsnip fries tossed in Parmesan, polenta, English mustard powder and salt, then fried until crisp. Greens recipes for Christmas Long-stemmed broccoli, grain tabbouleh and romesco sauce Make this impressive broccoli side for when you have vegan friends over for a festive feast. Kale with raisins and pine nuts This is a seasonal selection of veg if ever we did see one. Serve this bed of peppery kale, succulent raisins and sweet, garlicky shallots alongside your turkey on Christmas Day. Winter greens with pine nuts, chilli and garlic Get some greens into your Christmas dinner side dish spread. An easy way to feed a crowd, this punchy dish of winter greens with pine nuts, chilli and garlic is ready in just 20 minutes. Crisp greens with shallot, pancetta and chestnut butter Try this new take on brussels sprouts for your Christmas dinner. You can have the greens blanched and butter made for this in advance, then you just need to heat through to serve. Charred Hispi cabbage with parmesan dressing This recipe makes for a perfect side dish at dinner parties. The creamy dressing is layered with flavour from the parmesan, mustard and lemon, and pairs perfectly with the sweet, charred cabbage. Kale with parsnips and cream Want an easy veggie dish for your festive dinner? Check out this kale recipe with parsnips. Kale has a robust texture and flavour and can be used instead of cabbage or spinach in recipes. Cooked with parsnips, cream and nutmeg it makes an indulgent Christmas vegetable side dish. Vegetable gratin recipes for Christmas With luxuriously creamy fillings and a crisp top, these cheesy baked vegetable gratins are the ultimate indulgent side for your festive fest. Check out more of our gratin recipes. Brussels sprouts gratin This epic festive side dish combines brussels sprouts with streaky bacon, baked until golden and crisp. Winter veg tian Impress friends and family over the Christmas season with our stunning vegetable tian recipe. We love the look of golden and candy beetroots but if you can’t find them, simply replace with extra purple beetroots, celeriac and swede. Check out our best beetroot recipes here. Leek gratin with crispy leek topping Elevate your Christmas feast with a delightful twist on a classic favourite. Transform traditional leek sauce into an extraordinary veg side with this delectable gratin. Finocchio al forno (fennel baked in cream and Grana Padano) Put fennel at the heart of this easy Italian bake, it's the ideal indulgent side to serve for a festive feast. Creamy squash and sage gratin Try our indulgent creamy butternut squash gratin recipe with sage. This veggie side dish is an easy alternative to potato gratin to serve this Christmas. Plenty more butternut squash recipes here Best ever cauliflower cheese Is it really a Christmas dinner if there’s no super cheesy, crispy-topped, piping hot cauliflower cheese on the table? Follow these handy hints and tips to make it unreal this year. Creamed spinach with nutmeg and gruyère If you fancy an indulgent Christmas vegetable side dish, this is the one for you. Full of cheese and cream, it's the perfect accompaniment to turkey and roast potatoes (here are our top recipes). It'll go down well with even the fussy eaters! Swede, kale and sweet potato gratin This vibrant recipe for swede, kale and sweet potato gratin is the perfect Christmas side dish if you want to serve lots of veg. It's a two-step recipe, and most of the time the veg is spent in the oven. Baked, spiced sweet potato mash Don't fancy potatoes this Christmas? Try our spicy baked sweet potato mash instead – it's just as good as roasties. Prep your mash ahead then have it ready to finish off in the oven when people arrive. Roasted roots recipes for Christmas Candied root veg Roast your root vegetables in butter and maple syrup for extra extravagance. Perfect for Christmas, or a special Sunday lunch. Roasted roots with umami dressing Add some extra flavour to your dishes with umami, a deep savoury taste sensation that can be used as a salad dressing or to perk up a side dish of roasted vegetables. Pomegranate-glazed roasted vegetables with grapes Give your roasted veggies an impressive sticky glaze with pomegranate molasses, honey and blackberry jelly for a colourful Christmas side dish. Ghee-roasted spiced roots A Christmas side dish with a twist. Check out our vegetarian ghee-roasted spiced roots recipe for a vibrant dish that can be shared around the table. Stuffing recipes for Christmas Sage and onion stuffing Make your own stuffing balls for Christmas Day, or serve them alongside a Sunday roast. Add plenty of ground mace and sage for flavour. Vegan stuffing It wouldn’t be Christmas dinner without a dish of stuffing, and this version has the traditional flavours of sage and onion, alongside Puy lentils for added substance. It's also delicious in a Boxing Day sandwich, with leftover roasted root vegetables and lashings of cranberry sauce. Chestnut stuffing with dates and molasses Impress guests over the festive period with our epic stuffing recipe, featuring chestnuts, sausagemeat, sage leaves and sour cherries. Pomegranate and walnut stuffing balls A side of these stuffing balls, made with sausagemeat, pomegranates and walnuts, makes a rich addition to Christmas lunch. Potato recipes for Christmas Best-ever roast potatoes Want to know how to cook the perfect roast potatoes? With a few simple tricks you can achieve super crunchy and super fluffy roasties, every time Beef dripping roast potatoes Elevate your roast dinner by roasting your potatoes in hot beef dripping with garlic, rosemary, thyme and butter. Garlic and rosemary roast potatoes Thought roast potatoes couldn’t get any better? Once you learn to add butter for extra crunch, you’ll never go back. Parmesan roast potatoes
Christmas isn't complete without a Christmas pudding, trifle or yule log. We have plenty of delicious Christmas desserts to make ahead for the festive season
Looking for the best Christmas dessert recipes? We've got everything from traditional Christmas pudding and Christmas trifle to an indulgent chocolate tart and a classic Christmas yule log. We also have plenty of Christmas baking ideas to make ahead for your Christmas desserts, including Christmas cookies recipes. For fun desserts which mash up festive flavours, check out our Christmas mash-up recipes. Try our Christmas desserts recipes below, or treat everyone to one of our homemade edible gift recipes. After, take a look at our festive entertaining ideas for more inspiration and then discover our best Christmas cake decoration ideas. For a beautiful backdrop to offset your new creations, discover our Christmas table ideas. Best Christmas desserts Christmas Yule log Need a show-stopping dessert for over the Christmas period? Check out our indulgent festive yule log with a boozy Baileys cream and crunchy hazelnut brittle. Christmas crumble Expand your Christmas repertoire with this festive take on your fave pud. Use up left-over mincemeat – jarred or homemade – for extra flavour. Eggnog cheesecake Eggnog is baker Edd Kimber’s ultimate festive tipple, and here he turns it into his dream dessert – a creamy, spiced cheesecake with a gingernut base and a whipped honey crème fraîche topping. Chocolate and clementine torte End your Christmas feast on a high with this indulgent chocolate and clementine torte. Rich, zesty and utterly irresistible – your guests won’t be able to say no. Mulled wine cherry pavlova Easily adapted to whatever flavours take your fancy, pavlovas are also great for preparing ahead. This one is topped with mulled wine cherries for festive flavour. Marmalade and ginger fool These marmalade and ginger fools bring a cosy hit of autumn-winter flavour, with tangy orange, fiery ginger and creamy yogurt topped with crunchy gingernuts. Swedish baked rice pudding A Swedish Christmas Eve classic that’s easy to make ahead and tastes just as good the next day. Don’t forget the hidden almond – legend says whoever finds it will have good luck for the year. Baileys ice cream This no-churn ice cream is perfect as an accompaniment for your Christmas puds, and requires just four ingredients to make. Gingerbread cupcakes These moreish spiced cupcakes are great fun to make over the festive season for the whole family. Rum truffles Get into the festive spirit with a batch of these homemade rum truffles decorated by hand – they make great last-minute gifts. Classic Christmas trifle Want a Christmas trifle recipe with a boozy twist? This indulgent sherry trifle uses Amaretti biscuits for a lovely texture and flavour. It's a perfect way to conclude your Christmas day meal. We've got plenty of boozy cakes and bakes too. Stollen bites Make these pretty stollen bites for a fun Christmas baking project – you can use any mixed dried fruit, such as cranberries, sour cherries or apricots. Bûche de Noël Serve this bûche de noël for a Christmas dessert showpiece. This festive log features layers of chocolate sponge, chantilly cream and chocolate buttercream. Classic mince pies It's not Christmas without a mince pie. Making your own shortcrust pastry is easy and investing in decent shop-bought mincemeat makes all the difference. Christmas tart Fill a shop-bought tart case with brandy-soaked dried fruit and two types of almond for an effortless festive dessert, best eaten with brandy butter. Classic Christmas cake Sometimes, you can't beat a classic. Feed a crowd with this gently spiced fruit cake, enveloped in layers of smooth marzipan and fondant icing. The zingy flavours of ginger and orange balance perfectly with the richness of the sponge. Raspberry trifle fridge cake All the flavours of trifle but in a layered no-bake cake. This is a great one to make ahead as it needs overnight setting. Christmas fudge Check out this festive gingerbread fudge that takes just a few minutes to prepare. You can easily double the recipe to make two batches, so you have plenty for gifting. Vegan raspberry and lemon trifle Impress your guests with this classic layered dessert. The easy homemade custard uses vanilla-flavoured soya milk and gives a traditional flavour and colour to the custard. Panettone and clementine tiramisu Layers of coffee-soaked panettone, candied peel, Cointreau mascarpone and cocoa powder make for a showstopping dessert that's perfect for Christmas Day. Vegan Christmas cake Everyone will enjoy a slice of this Christmas cake, which can be baked and matured up to eight weeks before Christmas. Feed the cake weekly with your choice of brandy, rum or whisky for extra moisture and a warming flavour. Vegan gingerbread men Enjoy some festive nostalgia with a batch of vegan gingerbread men. They're easy to bake and fun to decorate. Pistachio and cherry nougat pandoro Check out this impressive festive centrepiece: a traditional Italian sweet bread is stuffed with a decadent ricotta, almond and amaretto filling and covered in meringue. Fruit and cream layer cake Panettone and pandoro have become popular Christmas gifts – if you’ve got one you haven’t used yet, give this effortless bake a try. Gingerbread pie A pie singing with festive flavours – check out this marshmallow-crowned version by Asa Naiditch of Blame Butter. Tiramis-choux tower Treat guests to this hybrid centrepiece – half profiterole, half tiramisu – with balls of choux pastry stuffed with coffee-drenched ladyfingers and boozy pastry cream. Christmas pavlova Those who don’t like Christmas pudding don’t have to miss out – serve this showstopping Christmas pavlova with a passionfruit coulis instead. Classic Christmas pudding If you are a festive dessert traditionalist, then look no further than our classic homemade Christmas pudding. You can make this luxurious fruity pud a couple of months ahead. Gluten-free chocolate fudge cake Recreate this impressive woodland-inspired cake from The Little House Dorset. Coated in ganache and then chocolate buttercream, it makes the perfect festive showstopper for a Christmas party. Cozonac Add this sweet Christmas bread, studded with raisins, nuts, chocolate and Turkish delight and infused with rum, to your festive dessert repertoire. Double chocolate and passion fruit tart Wow your party guests with this zingy tart – it’s unbelievably quick to make, thanks to a few ready-made ingredients, plus it's easy to prepare ahead of time. Panforte This Italian dessert is popular during the festive season. Chewy, nutty and sweet, it's packed with pistachios, almonds and dried fruits. Mexican chocoflan This festive flan cake, featuring chocolate, caramel and cinnamon, is known as 'flan imposible' and combines two popular Mexican desserts. Chocolate and hazelnut paris-brest An indulgent Nutella filling takes this impressive French patisserie to the next level. Serve over the festive season for a showstopping dessert. Croquembouche profiterole tower Want an impressive Christmas dessert to serve family and friends? Check out this show-stopping chocolate and hazelnut profiterole stack. With creamy Nutella filling and crunchy hazelnut brittle, this stunning recipe is the perfect end to a dinner. Check out our best choux pastry recipes and profiterole recipes. Black Forest pavlova Impress your family over the festive season with our stunning black forest meringue tower. This gorgeous Christmas dessert is filled with dark chocolate ganache, boozy cherries and mascarpone cream. Pure indulgence! Christmas cheesecake with chocolate sauce Not everyone loves Christmas pudding, but everyone's a fan of cheesecake! This festive take on a lemon cheesecake is sweet yet sharp. Pour the chocolate over just before you take it to the table for a glossy look. Butterscotch self-saucing pudding This rich pudding is best served with vanilla ice cream. It’s a very easy bake but looks impressive with its layers of soft sponge and sticky butterscotch sauce. Gingerbread bûche de Noël A beautiful rolled cake flavoured with warming ginger and cinnamon, Edd Kimber's bûche de Noël comes filled with a lemony Lotus Biscoff cream. Cranberry tart with cinnamon cream Fill a tart case with cranberry curd for the ultimate festive dessert this Christmas. Serve with sweet whipped cinnamon cream. Christmas pudding ice cream A clever way to use up left-over Christmas pudding – add it to ice cream! This four-ingredient, no-churn recipe also comes laced with brandy or rum – the perfect winter pud. Baileys tiramisu trifle Our stunning Christmas trifle recipe with boozy Baileys, chocolate swiss roll and lightly whipped cream with espresso makes for an impressive centrepiece at your festive feast. Chocolate and hazelnut millefeuille cake Sandwich crisp puff pastry circles together with homemade hazelnut ganache, then top with sweetened Frangelico whipped cream, crushed hazelnuts and a drizzle of warm Nutella for a decadent dessert. White chocolate Baileys aux merveilleux Aux merveilleux are a festive French treat – a simple affair of meringue discs sandwiched with a flavoured cream and rolled in chocolate shavings. Biscoff cheesecake Serve up to 16 decadent slices of this impressive Christmas Day dessert. Our indulgent Biscoff cheesecake recipe contains crunchy speculoos biscuits, creamy speculoos biscuit spread, and lightly whipped cream. Check out our best cheesecake recipes. No-bake chocolate tart with PX sherry Christmas puds need lots of chocolate, a healthy amount of alcohol and a lot of cream. Raisiny pedro ximénez sherry adds classic festive flavour to this delicious chocolate tart. It’s also a no-bake recipe so can be whipped up with little effort. Raspberry and Aperol baked alaska It might not be snowing outside, but with these edible snow balls it won't matter! Your Christmas guests will be amazed at the raspberry centre when you crack the meringue. They're worth the effort for the 'wows' and 'ooohhhs' alone. Click here for our best ever standout meringue recipes. Pavlova wreath If you're looking for a beautiful Christmas dessert but want minimal effort, give this cassis meringue wreath a go. Topped with cassis, cherries and mint, it's full of festive colours. It's great to feed a crowd as you can slice it into as many or as few pieces as necessary. Gingerbread trifle Add a hit of ginger to your English trifle this Christmas with these gingerbread trees. This creamy trifle with rum cardamom custard is the perfect sweet hit to finish your Christmas Day feast. Discover more trifle recipes Pandoro semifreddo Our easy yet standout semifreddo recipe with chocolate and amaretto encased in an Italian pandoro bread and topped with crunchy pistachios is the perfect dessert centre piece at a festive feast. Eggnog custard tart If you love egg custard tarts then you'll love Edd Kimber's Christmas inspired eggnog custard tart. Why not impress your guests with this dessert recipe, it may take a little time to make, but it's definitely worth it. Mulled wine winter puddings Looking for individual desserts that are easy to make? Check out our mini winter puddings with mulled wine for an easy individual Christmas dessert recipe. Sticky toffee Christmas pudding Sticky toffee pudding is a firm favourite with almost everyone. Adding ginger to the sponge adds even more warmth and spice, which everyone enjoys at Christmas time. Plus, the toffee sauce is just as delicious eaten with a spoon on its own! Here are plenty of Christmas pudding recipes to try Sherry trifle cheesecake Impress guests during the festive season with this nostalgic pud with a modern twist. Chocolate and salted caramel ice-cream bombe Why not make our impressive frozen chocolate and ice cream dessert recipe? This easy chocolate bombe recipe uses chocolate Swiss roll cake and Maltesers for extra indulgence and crunch, an easy Christmas day dessert. Check out more of our indulgent dessert recipes Christmas rocky road Too full for a big dessert after your Christmas lunch? Snack on these beautiful bite-sized chocolate treats instead. Traditional digestives are swapped for ginger biscuits, whilst cranberries and pistachios add some festive colour. Nougat terrine with caramel A Christmas dessert for all your sweet-toothed friends. It's full of cranberries, pistachios and candied peel...all the flavours of Christmas. It can be made in advance so it's one less thing to worry about over the festive season. Salted caramel chocolate fondants Our most indulgent, most beautiful chocolate fondant yet... just look at it ooze! These chocolate fondants make an impressive Christmas day dessert. You can buy the salted caramel sauce for a quick fix. Check out our best chocolate pudding recipes Baileys tiramisu Got leftover Bailey's from the Christmas festivities? Make this tiramisu recipe with creamy Baileys, soft sponge fingers, strong coffee and sweet almond liqueur... an easy Baileys dessert to indulge in over the festive period. We have many more Baileys recipes Espresso panna cotta Check out our recipe for silky smooth espresso panna cotta. This dessert is an ideal way to end your Christmas Day indulgence, it's gluten-free and looks impressive. Click the link for more impressive gluten free recipes Black forest cheesecakes Cheesecake makes the best Christmas dessert. These black forest cheesecake bombs are fun and original. If you're looking for something different to serve after turkey and roasties, make a few of these. Diners will love the cherry surprise in the centre. Vegan sticky toffee pudding Let warming spices and a rich toffee sauce (made with homemade cashew cream) do the talking with this vegan sticky toffee pudding recipe. Ginger ice cream bombes If you're looking for a sophisticated yet fun dessert for Christmas Day, look no further. They use ginger biscuits, stem ginger and crystallised ginger meaning they're warm and spicy. They're quick to make so won't take away from preparing the turkey! Check out our best ginger recipes here. White chocolate roulade with Baileys Treat your loved ones to a great Baileys dessert with this luxurious festive bake made with white chocolate and Baileys. It's easy to make and requires very little effort, prepare it next time you're hosting. Discover more roulade recipes Salted caramel and chocolate tart Everyone deserves some luxury at Christmas time and this salted caramel and chocolate tart recipe is the ultimate treat. Children will love it, but with the addition of sea salt flakes, adults will be obsessed with it too! If you love chocolate, click the link for more chocolate tart recipes Gluten-free mince pies Just because you're gluten free doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the Christmas fun. These boozy mince pies don't compromise on flavour or texture, and they look impressive. Clementine yoghurt cake This delicate clementine cake is picture-perfect and great for sharing. The yogurt keeps the sponge deliciously squidgy and the fruity flavours are a guaranteed hit. Sour cherry stollen bars Want an easy but impressive stollen recipe? This ingredients list may look lengthy but it’s all about building up the textures and flavours to make this the most moreish bar ever – way better than regular stollen.
Check out our favourite trifle recipes for year-round easy entertaining – from a classic sherry to rich chocolate and even a Dubai chocolate trifle
Looking for the most impressive trifle recipe? We have plenty of twists on the classic trifle for an impressive summer dessert or a wintry festive showstopper. Our summer trifles use seasonal ingredients such as strawberries and peaches to festive showstoppers like sherry trifles, chocolate trifle and gingerbread flavour. Plus we have plenty of other sweet treats to choose from including our decadent chocolate recipes and indulgent cheesecake ideas. For more festive sweet treats, discover our Christmas desserts and Christmas baking recipes. Best trifle recipes Classic trifle Want a Christmas trifle recipe with a boozy twist? This indulgent sherry trifle uses Amaretti biscuits for a lovely texture and flavour. It's a perfect way to conclude your Christmas day meal. Baileys tiramisu trifle Our stunning Christmas trifle recipe with boozy Baileys, chocolate swiss roll and lightly whipped cream with espresso makes for an impressive centrepiece at your festive feast. Sherry trifle Want a classic family dessert recipe with a twist? Make our easy trifle recipe with boozy sherry. Dubai chocolate trifle Layer a chocolate Swiss roll, pour over amaretto and top with custard and pistachio cream to make a trifle inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar – it takes just 35 minutes. Raspberry trifle fridge cake All the flavours of trifle but in a layered no-bake cake. This is a great one to make ahead as it needs overnight setting. Lemon trifle Try this zesty spin on a classic for an impressive centrepiece at a feast. Vegan raspberry and lemon trifle Impress your guests with this classic layered dessert. The easy homemade custard uses vanilla-flavoured soya milk and gives a traditional flavour and colour to the custard. Mascarpone raspberry trifle terrine Impress your festive guests with our beautiful mascarpone trifle with juicy raspberries – it’s easy to slice and easy to make. It will keep for up to three days in the fridge, so you can make it ahead of Christmas day. Chocolate trifle Rich dark chocolate custard and hazelnut liqueur takes this trifle to chocolatey new heights – the ultimate Christmas dessert for chocolate lovers. Gingerbread trifle Add a hit of ginger to your English trifle this Christmas with these gingerbread trees. This creamy trifle with rum cardamom custard is the perfect sweet hit to finish your Christmas Day feast. Sour cherry trifle with almonds Dazzle your guests with the perfect Christmas day dessert – a trifle featuring irresistible layers of vanilla-flecked custard cream, sherry-soaked sponge, toasted almonds, and sour cherries. Sherry trifle cheesecake Impress guests during the festive season with this nostalgic pud with a modern twist. More cheesecake recipes to try here... Blood orange and amaretti trifles Need an easy yet impressive dessert for guests at your next festive dinner party? Try these quick individual trifle recipes with amaretti and blood orange. Clementine and prosecco trifle This boozy trifle recipe with clementines is a worthy dessert for all your festive gatherings. Our easy trifle is a great, modern twist on a traditional trifle. Freeze the egg whites until you want to make the prosecco sabayon. Winter berry trifle Want an easy berry trifle recipe for winter? Our impressive trifle pudding is an easy winter berry dessert recipe. Check out our collection of best ever fruity puddings for more inspiration. Stem ginger trifle Want to mix up your classic trifle recipe? Add ginger cake for an easy Christmas trifle recipe with a twist. This ginger cake trifle is an easy spiced grown-up dessert ready in 30 minutes. Check out more of our ginger recipes here... Cherry crunch trifle These individual chocolate cherry trifles make the best individual pudding to try over the festive seas0n. More cherry recipes here... White forest trifle Need a stylish Christmas dessert to make during the festive season? Ready in only 30 minutes, our fruity trifle will become a crowd favourite in no time. Raspberry trifle This impressive trifle, with sherry-soaked scones, juicy raspberries and silky clotted cream custard, couldn't be simpler to put together. A perfect, sunshiny dessert for a crowd. Strawberry trifle The easiest, quickest trifle recipe for summer: made with Madeira cake and strawberries. Topped with custard and cream, these individual pots make a perfect pudding. Peach and raspberry trifle Peaches and raspberries make the best fruit trifles. Shop-bought cake makes this classic pud so easy and individual desserts always look impressive. Summer fruit trifle Want an easy summer dessert? Check out this show-stopping trifle recipe with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream, this easy trifle recipe is a technicolour trip back in time. We've got plenty more strawberry recipes here too.
Make festive entertaining a breeze with our elegant ideas for crowd-pleasing finger food, from moreish sausages rolls to oozing croquetas and perfect dips
Try our easy Christmas canapé recipes and Christmas nibbles for the best Christmas party food. Plus we've got plenty more quick and easy canapé recipes to choose from. For effortless festive entertaining, check out our no-cook Christmas entertaining ideas. If you’re planning a Christmas party this year we’ve got some quick finger food ideas to serve with your Christmas cocktails. Our Christmas nibble recipes are easy to make, from turkey sausage puff pastry tarts to sticky pork belly skewers. We also have some fun twists on Welsh rarebit, spring rolls and croquettes. Explore our Christmas breakfast ideas that can be prepared ahead of time for stress-free entertaining. Christmas canapé ideas Mini sausage rolls Serve a plate of these irresistible sausage rolls, with an extra buttery and flaky pastry, as a canapé for your next festive get-together. Chicken tenders with garlic parmesan Try these chicken tenders for a finger food option at your festive gathering – serve with cute cocktail sticks for spearing. Salmon flatbread Missed the butter board trend? Don’t worry – this festive smoked salmon twist takes it up a notch, with the board itself transformed into an edible base. Jalapeño poppers Perfect for feeding a crowd, these quick and easy three-ingredient jalapeño poppers make 30 irresistible bites – ideal for any gathering. Honeyed squash, sage and feta filo cigars Crisp filo cigars filled with honeyed squash, tangy feta and fragrant sage bring all the cosy flavours of winter in one golden, flavour-packed bite. Tear and share sausage roll Perk up your party buffet with our epic sausage roll and camembert wheel. Prawn and chorizo skewers With just six ingredients, these prawn and chorizo skewers are the ultimate surf-and-turf party bite – bold, smoky and perfect with a drink, no messy fingers required. Popcorn mussels Serve these crispy breaded mussels as a canapé at your next party, with sriracha mayo, hot honey vinegar and ranch dressing for dipping. Smashed parmesan potatoes with avocado Smashing potatoes gives you the crispiest edges and a fluffy centre – the perfect base for spicy avocado. Finish with pickled onions and a pinch of aleppo chilli for a bold vegetarian bite. Bloody mary prawn lettuce scoops Serve this simple and speedy prawn cocktail alternative on a large platter in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in. Pickled melon and prosciutto skewers Give your festive canapés a fresh twist with these pickled melon and prosciutto skewers – the quick pickle adds a bright, tangy lift to this classic combo. Chopped egg salad on salt and vinegar crisps Get inventive with your party food and try this easy all-in-one egg salad and crisps canapé, great for vegetarian guests. Radish butter terrine Radishes and butter are a timeless pairing, perfect for a chic starter or elegant nibble – just slice and spread over crisp rye toast for instant sophistication. Scampi with soured cream dip This is a really easy way to offer people a bite with drinks without going to too much effort. You can swap the soured cream for mayo, if you prefer. Gin and tonic traybake squares Treat your guests to these mini boozy squares at your next drinks party – sweet canapés make a thoughtful extra touch. Pickled beetroot tacos with goat’s cheese Kick off a festive party with these easy vegetarian canapés perfect for fuss-free hosting. Sage and anchovy fritti These crispy little fried anchovy bites with sage leaves would go down a treat at your next drinks get-together. Deep-fried olives stuffed with ricotta and Guindilla chilli Stuffed with fiery spiced ricotta, rolled in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden, these moreish bites are the perfect party treat. Serve with beer and lemon wedges. Maple-glazed sausage blinis Kick off a festive party with these easy canapés, turning cocktail sausages into impressive bitesize party food. Chilli-and-marmalade-glazed pork belly squares Kick off a festive party with our easy canapés. These sticky-sweet bites can be partly prepared ahead for fuss-free entertaining. Sweet potato and cranberry fritters with nuoc cham These Vietnamese-inspired sweet potato fritters have a festive twist with dried cranberries. The tangy-sweet-salty dipping sauce is a great one to have to hand for the festive season. Bread sauce and stuffing croquettes These crispy balls are easy to make and perfect at keeping a hungry crowd happy over the festive season. Duck samosas Check out our impressive samosa recipe packed with tender duck, wrapped in super flaky pastry and served with a fresh coriander chutney – perfect for entertaining over the festive season. Chilli chicken wings These juicy wings are spiced with paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh oregano, serve with a light yogurt sauce to feed a hungry horde over the festive season. Smoked black pudding croquettes with apple sauce Looking for impressive Christmas canapés to serve guests over the festive season? These indulgent croquettes are packed with smoked black pudding and creamy blue cheese. Mini lobster rolls Proper posh Christmas party food! These mini lobster rolls are easy to make but look impressive – perfect for hassle-free entertaining at a Christmas party. Check out our lobster recipes here Devilled coronation eggs Need an easy canapé to serve this Christmas? Try our coronation chicken devilled eggs – a retro canapé combined with a simple classic British sandwich – perfect party food. More quick and easy canapés here Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sausage puffs Try these crispy turkey, stuffing and cranberry sausage puffs for an easy festive canapé. This recipe makes 15 and can be made well in advance, meaning you'll be ready for all those Christmas parties. Tajín cauliflower bites Jazz up your veggie canapés this Christmas with tajín, a classic Mexican seasoning made from lime, chilli and salt. Mini quiches with salmon and courgette These little wonders look striking, are gorgeously crunchy and easy to put together. Great for an easy addition to any festive buffet. Vegan BBQ jackfruit sliders with mustard slaw Change up pulled pork buns with jackfruit for an easy yet moreish Christmas nibble idea to serve your vegan friends this Christmas. Christmas party tartines In need of really quick and easy cold canapés to make? Try our simple party tartines for fuss-free festive party food that's a bit more substantial than canapés. Carrot, halloumi and dill balls How can you make halloumi even better? Sabrina Ghayour says: combine it with carrot and dill, and deep fry. And we agree. Perfect with drinks. Avocado and prawn cocktail toasts This canapé recipe is great for Christmas party food. It's your classic prawn cocktail with a twist. Pass them around your Christmas party for an easy Christmas nibble. Try our traditional prawn cocktail recipe here. Rarebit and pickled onion croquetas These Christmas canapés have a crunchy exterior, a melty inner and a satisfyingly tangy edge. They're a definite crowd pleaser and a great way to use up leftover cheese over the Christmas period. Fig and goat’s cheese filo parcels Looking for a vegetarian Christmas canapé recipe? These crunchy filo-baked fresh figs make an awesome Christmas nibble or starter that is easy to make. Plenty more fig recipes here. Spiced cod fritters with harissa honey dip Mix up the Christmas canapés this year with these crunchy fish fritters with sweet and spicy dip from Persian cooking guru Sabrina Ghayour. They're a great idea for a middle-Eastern dinner party spread or Christmas party. Pork belly skewers with Vietnamese caramel sauce These pork belly skewers with Vietnamese caramel sauce make easy but impressive canapés for the festive season. Lamb kofta puffs with tahini and tomato sauce This recipe from Persian cook Sabrina Ghayour for flakey puff pastry wrapped around tender lamb koftas is sure to be a hit with your dinner party guests over the Christmas period. Mar hor Christmas nibble recipe (Galloping Horse) This is a meat-free version of a classic Thai recipe and is an easy canapé to have with drinks at any festive dinner party. Try our other Thai recipes here. Mini buck rarebits A Welsh rarebit topped with an egg is called a buck rarebit. This version is beautifully bite-sized, perfect for sharing over the Christmas period for finger food. Mozzarella sticks with spicy dipping sauce Want to please a crowd this Christmas? Try our gooey mozzarella sticks with a punchy dipping sauce. These are best cooked from frozen, so they are a perfect make ahead Christmas nibble over the festive season. Check out our best cheese recipes here Curried chicken nuggets with curry leaf mayo Chicken nuggets are quick and easy to whip up thanks to mayonnaise, which is also used to make a punchy dip flavoured with curry leaf and mustard seeds. Mini chorizo and tomato frittatas These easy canapés can be made ahead then reheated in a warm oven to serve at a festive dinner party. Duck and mango rice paper rolls Ready in just half an hour, these are great cold canapés to make if you're looking for a fresh festive snack. Fig and goat’s cheese puffs The easiest Christmas party finger food with just four ingredients and ready in half an hour. This simple puff pastry canapé serves 16 so great for a crowd. Blinis toppings These blinis are a perfect canapé for festive gatherings, as they’re simple to prepare and versatile. Try topping with sweet charred leeks and whipped ricotta for a vegetarian option.
Indulge at home this winter with our Christmas cocktails. Try twists on mulled wine, spiced negronis, warming chai cocktails and plenty of festive fizz
Looking for Christmas cocktails? Make your festive evenings extra special with our easy Christmas cocktail ideas including festive martini recipes, mulled wine and Christmas gin cocktails. Next, try our prosecco cocktails and champagne cocktails. Whether it's breakfast fizz for Christmas Day, party cocktails for New Year's Eve or warming mulled drinks for frosty winter walks, our collection of Christmas cocktails has everything you need for a jolly festive season. Find recipes for classic festive drinks including eggnog and glühwein, plus lots of fun ideas to try out, including vibrant Aperol spritz punch, zingy paloma champagne cocktails, kitsch white Christmas coladas and a dessert-worthy tiramisu martini. For more quick and easy festive entertaining, check out our no-cook Christmas entertaining ideas and our Christmas mash-up recipes. Best Christmas cocktails recipes The olive festive cocktail The ultimate Christmas cocktail from the olive magazine team. Make this easy spiced cocktail recipe with tequila and elderflower for a festive drink to serve friends and family over the Christmas season. Look for vintage bottles and add a pretty ribbon and label to complete the look. Click here for more exciting edible Christmas gifts... Sloe gin fizz Although you can buy shop-bought (see our picks of the best sloe gin to buy), you could make your own sloe gin in this festive twist on a classic gin fizz. Aperol spritz punch Aperol spritz isn’t just for summer – this festive punch version adds cranberry juice and ginger ale, then gets dressed up with pomegranate, rosemary, star anise and cinnamon. Ready in five minutes, it’s an easy crowd-pleaser for up to eight. Christmas spiced negroni Take your favourite cocktail and give it a festive makeover with homemade spiced gin. Why not make our negroni salmon recipe for a Christmas party too? Paloma champagne cocktail Start Christmas morning on a bright note with these zesty paloma cocktails. Just five ingredients, including a dose of fizz and tequila, guarantee everyone’s in a merry mood. Hot buttered rum Treat yourself this Christmas to a hot buttered rum, mixing golden rum with soft light brown sugar, unsalted butter and festive spices. See more easy rum cocktails. White Christmas colada Bring some festive cheer with a white Christmas colada – a creamy coconut cocktail with a sugared rim, a hit of fresh lime and a garnish of redcurrants or rosemary. A tropical twist made for winter celebrations. Christmas mojito Jazz up this minty cocktail with festive flavours – rum is mixed with cranberry juice and soda, then garnished with mint leaves and pomegranate seeds. Flying grasshopper cocktail Toast the Christmas season in style with this minty green cocktail. The addition of vodka helps balance the sweetness perfectly. Christmas spritz Mix Aperol, sparkling wine and bitters with ginger beer and garnish with orange, star anise and pomegranate seeds to make this festive spritz. Cranberry and ginger fizz Cranberry juice creates a pretty pink hue and brings a hint of tartness to this mocktail. See more of our best cranberry recipes. Mulled old fashioned Make this mulled old fashioned for a festive twist on a classic cocktail, featuring a homemade syrup infused with cinnamon, orange and cloves. Gingerbread old fashioned A spicy spin on the classic whisky cocktail. Discover more whisky cocktail recipes. PX espresso martini Swap traditional coffee liqueur for festive pedro ximénez sherry in this classic cocktail – it adds lovely notes of raisins. If you love an espresso martini, try our espresso martini cheesecake for a showstopping dessert. Clementine and amaretto sour This lower-alcohol sour has a fresh, citrussy pep thanks to the clementine juice. Try more seasonal clementine recipes. Revolver cocktail Elevate your festive tipple! Beyond the espresso martini, indulge in a caffeinated Christmas sipper with this unique twist on a Manhattan. Grasshopper cocktail Mint chocolate fans, this one’s for you: check out this retro dessert cocktail made of crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and single cream. Christmas gin cocktail Giving this drink a proper shake in your cocktail shaker will ensure a lovely, creamy layer of egg white on top of this festive tipple. Christmas godfather This is a festive spin on a retro 70s drink that makes an ideal dessert cocktail for Christmas. Kir royale This classic celebratory cocktail uses just three ingredients, making it a brilliant drink to make if you’re running short of time. Celebrate with more champagne cocktail recipes. Cranberry gimlet Try this easy three-ingredient spin on a gimlet – it's made with cranberries for subtle sharpness and a vivid pink colour. Sloe sazerac A seriously punchy whisky cocktail perfect for slow sipping during the winter months. A splash of sloe gin adds a festive twit to this classic. Baileys cocktail Baileys and Christmas go hand in hand, so why not give this creamy vodka-based cocktail a go for your next festive drinks party? Use up the rest of your bottle with more of our Baileys recipes, from hot chocolate to cupcakes and brownies. Tiramisu martini Feeling too stuffed for dessert after a big dinner? Enter the pudding cocktail: sweet, creamy and boozy, it’s the perfect end to a meal. Here we’ve used the flavours of a classic Italian dessert to make a decadent treat. Glühwein The addition of rum to this Christmas market classic works really well – we've added some here to compensate for the evaporation of alcohol during cooking, but it’s not essential, if you prefer your drinks a little less punchy. Eggnog Put a rosy glow in your cheeks with this classic winter cocktail, made with egg yolks, sugar, cream, sherry, rum and plenty of fresh nutmeg. Try our eggnog latte for something extra cosy. Gingerbread espresso martini cocktail Shake up your winter drinks party in more ways than one with this gingerbread and espresso martini cocktail. Velvety smooth coffee and festive spice syrup make this the perfect after-dinner warmer. Check out our best ever Christmas dessert recipes to indulge in this Christmas... Spiced sidecar A warming, cold-weather cocktail made using homemade spiced brandy. Omit the spices for a classic sidecar cocktail, or try using bourbon if you can’t find cognac. Christmas mocktail orange and rosemary fizz If you love starting Christmas Day with a Buck's Fizz, but fancy something non alcoholic this year, try this orange and rosemary fizz. The cinnamon and pomegranate makes it taste like Christmas in a glass. Looking for Christmas day recipes? Check out our must make trimmings recipes here... Black russian Make this classic dark cocktail with vodka and coffee liqueur. Serve in an old fashioned glass with ice for an elegant after-dinner drink, or try our festive twist. Easy dirty gin martini cocktail This easy Christmas cocktail makes the perfect gift to bring to a festive party – keep chilled in the fridge for emergencies. We've got over 20 martini recipes to try... Poinsettia cocktail If you’re bored of buck’s fizz, try serving this rosy red cocktail at your next festive brunch or party – it’s easy to make and great for groups. Rum negroni Rum makes this drink a little gentler than a classic gin negroni. Decant into a hip flask for sipping on wintry walks Spanish bloody mary Swapping vodka for amontillado sherry makes a lower-ABV, super-savoury take on this brunch classic. Garnish with a gilda – a classic pinto snack. Sherry sour Want a simple Christmas cocktail recipe to serve over the festive season? Impress friends and family with our easy-drinking sherry sour. More cocktail recipes here. Campfire cocktail Cosy up by the fire and make this campfire cocktail recipe with bourbon and marshmallows for a warming drink over the festive season. It comes from the brilliant team at whisky bar Black Rock just off Finsbury Square, London EC2 and is topped with a toasted marshmallow. We’re sold. Check out other Bonfire Night-inspired cocktails... Chilled, mulled elderflower wine Want a change to mulled wine at your Christmas drinks party? Try a frosty twist on a classic with this chilled, mulled elderflower wine. Sweet vanilla pods, cloudy apple juice and elderflower cordial simmer with fresh lemon juice for a festive infusion. Chai white russian Ramp up the festive spirit in a classic white Russian with the warming spices of chai. This coffee cocktail is the perfect Christmas drink. French 75 Jazz up your Christmas morning with this classic champagne cocktail. It's simple to make but looks stunning, perfect for the party season. Check out more of our champagne cocktail recipes here. Marmalade and mandarin mojito Marmalade mojitos make a deliciously jammy cocktail, made to look really delicious with mandarin slices and star anise. Try this five-minute cocktail recipe for an easy refresher at Christmas. Negroni sbagliato Our negroni sbagliato makes a great festive fizz. Swapping gin for prosecco makes for a lighter negroni and softens the bitterness. This is an ideal aperitif over the festive season for those who find a classic negroni a bit much. Winter-spiced pear cocktail This light and spicy cocktail is a delicate early-evening treat. It's warm, silky and the pear syrup has intense in flavour. If you're hosting a Christmas drinks party, these will get your guests right into the festive spirit. White sparkle A great sparkling Christmas party cocktail. After you have decorated the Champagne flutes, chill them by putting in the freezer for a short while or filling with ice for a few minutes. Christmas cake martini All the flavours of a traditional Christmas cake in liquid form. This is bound to impress your guests over the festive season. Click the link for all of our Christmas baking recipes to pair it with. Aperol mimosa This mimosa is fizzy, fruity and has a slight bitter note. It's a great alternative to Buck's Fizz, it's made using only three ingredients and would make a great drink to see the year out with. Check out our best ever Christmass breakfast recipes to have alongside your morning mimosa here. Sake martini Swap vermouth for sake in this Japanese-inspired take on the classic cocktail – perfect for a New Year's Eve soirée. Rhubarb and ginger negroni This update on the classic negroni using rhubarb and ginger is a great shout for Christmas time. It comes from Black Dice, a 1960s rock 'n' roll inspired bar tucked away beneath Moroccan restaurant MOMO in Mayfair. Christmas porter flip We've revived and updated a classic dating back to the 17th century with our recipe for a chocolate porter flip. Serve this hot or cold for an easy festive drink. Check out our indulgent chocolate recipes here... Pom-Pimms fizz Looking for a festive cocktail recipe to kick things off this Christmas? You'll need frothy egg white, sugar, chilled pomegranate juice, Pimms, lemons and ginger beer for this beauty. Mulled beer What’s more warming on a winter’s day than the glow of an English pub? Recreate that feeling, and better it, by brewing up this mulled beer recipe with cinnamon, cloves and clementine for an easy Christmas drink. Ginger margarita This twist on a classic margarita is the perfect thing to serve at a festive drinks party. The recipe comes from Spice Market, a South-east Asian restaurant in the W Hotel, Leicester Square, that serves stylish interpretations of street food. Mulled cider Cosy up with this soul-warming winter cocktail, perfect after a crisp winter walk over the festive period. The addition of dark rum, brown sugar and cinnamon sticks provide sweet depth to this warm spiced cocktail. Blood orange Campari cocktails Bitter Campari and sweet blood orange combine in festive harmony to make this refreshing aperitif. Campari usually lends its beautiful red colour to the devilishly potent negroni, this lighter cocktail is perfect for those needing a calmer night amidst the busy social season. Pear-drop bellinis Like pear drop sweets? Then you'll love this fun way to serve fizz. Great for Christmas time, all it involves is eight pear drops and a bottle of Cava. Simple! Ron de replay Want an easy yet impressive cocktail recipe? This cocktail will be sure to impressive festive guests over the winter season, we use Ron Zacapa rum from Guatemala to heat things up a bit. White Russian cocktails Round off a Christmas dinner party huddled round the fire with these indulgent cocktails. The perfect sweet finale when you’re too full for a pud. Check out our best ever dinner party mains here. Elit Christmas Want a really beautiful split-coloured Champagne cocktail? Check out this festive drink invented by the legendary Salvatore Calabrese. If you can’t find the fraise de bois you could use another liqueur such as crème de cassis. Bitter orange and cardamom martinis Want an inventive martini recipe? Martinis are one of our favourite mixed alcoholic drinks. We've added marmalade and lemon juice to this cocktail recipe for an extra kick to your festive cocktails. Clementine fizz Can’t wait until sundown for a cocktail? Start your Christmas morning right with our clementine fizz. It’s ready in just 10 minutes, more time-efficient than a bowl of porridge! How to use forgotten bottles from the drinks cupboard over Christmas Baileys white Russian cocktail recipe Mix 3 tbsp Baileys, 1 tbsp Kahlúa and 2 tbsp vodka with 4 tbsp whole milk, then serve over ice in a short glass. Cherry sling cocktail recipe Pour 2 tbsp gin, 1 tbsp cherry brandy and ½ tbsp lemon juice over ice in a tall glass. Finish with soda and a maraschino cherry. Sancho panza cocktail recipe Stir 3 tbsp cream sherry, 1½ tbsp Campari and a dash of Angostura bitters in a short glass with ice.